inside · 2011. 1. 28. · study of extremely high-density recording for disk drives recording data...

International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association

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The Past May Be Prologue or HistoryMay Be Bunk: Reflections on a PerilousQuarter

Study of Extremely High-DensityRecording for Disk Drives Recording Dataat 40–100 Gbits/in2

DISKCON USA Technical ConferenceSessions

Precision Cleaning Process andEquipment Technology EnablingContinuous Cost Reduction for HDDManufacturers

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VEECO Equipment Ad

It will not be very long until the world’s largesttechnical conference and tradeshow dedicated to thedata storage industry will arrive in San Jose. Of courseI’m referring to DISKCON® USA, held during the weekof Sept. 18th through the 21st at the San JoseConvention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley. Havingrecently presented DISKCON events in Singapore andTokyo, where both had increases from the previous year in the number of exhibitors, IDEMAis already hard at work to make this year’s DISKCON USA the best show ever.

The key focus for member volunteers working on this year’s event has been enlarging thescope and content of the technical conference. In response to the growing requirements ofour member employees for more in-depth technology information, product directions, andbusiness perspectives, the technical conference this year offers more sessions than everbefore, all infused with fresh new energy. Loaded with richer and more varied content, thisyear’s technical conference will appeal to all of our member employees. Especiallynoteworthy is a session that provides highlights from the recent IEEE INTERMAG Torontoconference held April 9–13, 2000. If you missed INTERMAG, or want to hear the latest fromthe industry’s foremost magnetic technology experts, then definitely attend this session. Theimplementation of sessions running concurrently will also give this year’s attendees theopportunity to choose from a variety of different sessions, and be able to participate in theones that best fit their interests. Now the best is even better. I hope you can tell how veryexcited we are about the upcoming technical conference—others talk about quality, wedeliver it.

DISKCON USA, a favorite of executives, leaders, and trendsetters worldwide, will also includeall of the main events you’ve come to look forward to, including:

• The 5th annual Mark Geenen Technology for Youth Charity Golf Tournament on Monday.

• The Keynote Dinner on Tuesday evening, featuring Quantum Corporation Chairman andCEO, Michael Brown (please note that this year’s dinner will be held at the Westin Hotelin Santa Clara).

• The Exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday, with over 300 exhibitors already signed up.

• Sixteen different Technical Education Classes offered Monday through Thursday.

• Standards Workshops—open to anyone interested in storage standards—held Mondayand Tuesday.

As you can see, DISKCON USA is shaping up to be a real “three-ring circus,” with somethingspecial for everyone. Mark your calendars now to attend; find out why industry profession-als continue to return year after year—you’ll like what you see. Keep an eye out for otherinformation regarding DISKCON spread throughout this issue of INSIGHT; for full eventdetails, visit the IDEMA website at www.idema.org.

July/August 2000 • INSIGHT 3

departments6Marketplace

8Storage News

24Volunteer Spotlight

28Standards Update

30Membership Update

41Industry Calendar

44Committee Focus

48Technical Education

50IDEMA Japan

articles6The Past May Be Prologue orHistory May Be Bunk:Reflections on a PerilousQuarter

12Study of Extremely High-Density Recording for DiskDrives Recording Data at40–100 Gbits/in2

16DISKCON USA TechnicalConference Sessions

34Precision Cleaning Processand Equipment TechnologyEnabling Continuous CostReduction for HDD Manu-facturers

upcoming featuresAdvanced Materials for ActuatorsFerroelectric MolecularHolographic Optical StorageNanotechnology

on the coverOur unending exploration toincrease areal density involvescreative process improvements. Asone looks to the heavens for theanswers, the only obviousconclusion can be...it’s all aboutspace.

LarryIDEMA President, Larry Eischen

4 INSIGHT • July/August 2000

INSIGHT EditorJeri Burdick, [email protected]

Creative DirectorChris Carrig, [email protected]

Communications ChairWayne Fortun, Hutchinson Technology, Inc.

Communications CommitteeLarry Anderson, Komag , Inc.Chris Bajorek, Komag, Inc.Jay Kimmal, HMT Technology Don Mounce, Gem CityEngineering CompanyDon Perettie, ADMATInternational

ArticlesArticle contributions are welcomeand are subject to editing byIDEMA.

AdvertisingAdvertising is offered to IDEMAcorporate members only. Adspace is available for theSep/Oct issue; ad close is Aug.5, with materials due Aug. 12.Editorial calendar andadvertising rates available atwww.idema.org.

SubscriptionINSIGHT is produced bimonthly.For your free subscription (U.S.only), register online atwww.idema.org.

INSIGHT is a free, bimonthly association magazine, published bythe International Disk DriveEquipment and Materials Association(IDEMA). The goal of INSIGHT is toinform IDEMA members, and industryprofessionals worldwide, about emerging technologies, and upcoming IDEMA trade events, aswell as educational opportunities.INSIGHT is read by more than24,000 engineers, scientists, andtechnical managers worldwide.

All rights reserved. IDEMA andDISKCON are registered trademarksof the International Disk DriveEquipment and Materials Association.Other product names or brands usedin this publication are for identifica-tion purposes only and may betrademarks of their respectivecompanies.

IDEMA Staff—U.S.PresidentLarry Eischen408.330.8101

Director, EducationSally Bryant, Ed.D.408.330.8106

Director, ServicesDebbie Lee408.330.8108

Administrative AssistantAdoracion Yanogacio408.330.8100

Administrative CoordinatorLisa Hood408.330.8103

Creative Director/WebmasterChristine Carrig408.330.8110

INSIGHT Editor/TechnicalWriterJeri Burdick408.330.8107

Finance/Office ManagerTrudy Gressley408.330.8105

Program Manager, StandardsKristen Montan408.330.8109

Tradeshow AssistantAisling Malone408.492.1436

Tradeshow CoordinatorBeth McCullough408.492.1436

Tradeshow ManagerBarbara Alvarez, CMP408.492.1436

IDEMA Staff—Asia-PacificExecutive DirectorK.Y. Phua65.226.3412

Wendy Ang

Sharmini Pathman

Jean Tan

IDEMA Staff—JapanExecutive DirectorTatsuo Sugiura81.3.3539.7071

Finance/StandardsAkiko Yamamoto

Editor/SeminarNaoko Miura

Board of Directors—U.S.ChairmanJoel Weiss, Ph.D. Seagate Recording Media Group

Vice Chairman/TreasurerJohn Kurtzweil Read-Rite Corporation

SecretaryOsmund “Oz” Fundingsland OSF International

Pantelis Alexopoulos, Ph.D.Maxtor Corporation

Chris H. Bajorek, Ph.D.Komag, Inc.

Edward BraunVeeco Instruments

Wayne M. Fortun Hutchinson Technology, Inc.

Mark Geenen TRENDFOCUS, Inc.

Ed Grochowski, Ph.D. IBM Almaden Research Center

William Harry Exclusive Design Company

Dennis Hill LSI Logic

Brian Nixon Quantum Corporation

Don Perettie, Ph.D. ADMAT International

Norman H. Pond Intevac

James N. Porter DISK/TREND, Inc.

Barry RossumAcorn Technology

Michael RussakHMT Technology

John F. Schaefer Phase Metrics, Inc.

Robert Selinger, Ph.D.

Tsuneo SuganumaHitachi, Ltd.

Management Committee—Asia-Pacific

Herbert Ang3M Singapore

Gary Davis Davis Consultants Asia

Adam Giandomenico Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions

Gaylord Ho Vector Magnetics Pte. Ltd.

S.C. Lee Maxtor Peripherals (S) Pte. Ltd.

Teh-Bong LimMMI Holdings Ltd.

C.T. LowHalo Data Devices Pte. Ltd.

Tom McDormanWestern Digital

K.Y. PhuaIDEMA Asia-Pacific

Henry “Hank” PselosXyratex Pte. Ltd.

Chang Faa ShoonSeagate Technology

Kelly TanSeagate Technology

William Tan Megatech Electronics Pte. Ltd.

Board of Directors—JapanChairmanTsuneo SuganumaHitachi, Ltd.

Vice ChairmanAkira KakehiFujitsu, Ltd.

Vice ChairmanHiromi KaminumaToshiba Corporation

AuditorHideki HaradaHTA

Executive DirectorTatsuo SugiuraIDEMA Japan

Directors:Kunio HatanakaKobe Steel, Ltd.

Yuichi HyakusokuMediken, Inc.

Youichi InoAnelva Corporation

Shun KanekoIomega Japan Corp.

Noboru KubokawaInstitute of Information Technology, Ltd.

Mikio MatsuzakiTDK Corporation

Tadashi ShinoharaHitachi Metals, Ltd.

Isao SuzukiHOYA Corporation

Takaaki TakashimaIBM Japan, Ltd.

Akira TeradaAlps Electric Co., Ltd.

Tetsuo TsuruHitachi Electronics Engineering Co., Ltd.

Haruo UraiNEC Corporation

Joel Weiss, Ph.D.Seagate Recording Media Group

Hideaki YamazakiSpider Systems of Japan, Inc.

Nobuaki YoshiokaNEC Corporation

IDEMA—U.S.3255 Scott Blvd., Suite 2-102Santa Clara, CA 95054-3013Phone: 408.330.8100Fax: 408.492.1425

IDEMA—Asia-Pacific53B Temple StreetSingapore 058598Phone: 65.226.3412Fax: 65.226.3413

IDEMA—JapanWataru Building, 6th Floor2-11-9, Nishi ShinbashiMinato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 JapanPhone: 81.3.3539.7071Fax: 81.3.3539.7072


KNOWLEDGE IS What We Know…After a little more than two months as the new editor of INSIGHT magazine, the only thing I honestly know forsure is that there’s still a lot of things I do not know! It’s difficult to decide whether a system (managing amagazine, for example) is working effectively, until you've had the opportunity to experience that system first-hand. With over 19 years in the high-technology arena (including 17 years with AMD) I have plenty ofexperience as both technical writer and information-management specialist. I’ve managed the production ofdata books (containing hundreds of product specs from multiple product lines). I’ve also developed corporatestandards for technical publications (for both style and content), also across multiple product lines. I’ve evenestablished a worldwide corporate literature archive program (to both preserve and track the history of everyproduct publication made available to the general public). So when it comes to understanding the need forconsistency, quality control, and data integrity, or having a solid belief in the value of serving up accurate andtimely information (crossing multiple disciplines), I think I have that knowledge—I know I have the ability.

What I also know is this, that INSIGHT magazine—read by data storage professionals around the globe—should be held to the highest standards possible, and that its readers deserve the very best and that nothingless will do.

WISDOM IS What We Do, with what we know…Looking back at previous issues of INSIGHT, certainly the ones from the past year and a half, I can see why themagazine is held in such high esteem. The transition—from a quick-print industry trade journal—to the high-quality, professionally designed publication you see before you today, speaks volumes (or in this case, issues)for itself. Sometimes when looking back, you see where an enhancement might be made. This is the case withour new “New Member Profiles” (pages 31 through 33), where we now spotlight new members with more thanjust their company name. Or the regularly featured “Industry Calendar” (pages 41 and 42), with a new twistthis issue—the entries were all taken from the online Industry Calendar (at www.idema.org/public/calendar/),which is updated by you…the Industry! How cool is that?

AWARENESS IS Knowing Why We Do What We Do, with what we know…My intent is NOT to reinvent this wheel called INSIGHT, just to understand its purpose and where possible, toimprove upon its method for delivery. This includes looking at the history of the magazine (to see where we’vebeen) and asking you, the reader, what you like and what you don’t like (to see where we’re going), and thenimplementing enhancements, based on your criteria.

When it comes to finding better ways to provide the information you want in INSIGHT, I’m here to make thathappen. Since many of you expect that each and every issue be loaded with more and more insightfultechnical articles, I’m putting out a Call for Writers, emphasizing that we are looking for new and talentedwriters who have something to say about the industry and its technologies. If you would be interested ingetting your work published, I’d absolutely be interested in reviewing an abstract of your article, and would behappy to publish any articles found to be of interest to our readers. In the final analysis, it’s really not howgreat we make INSIGHT, but rather, how we make INSIGHT great—with your help!

Jeri Burdick


Statistical Summary Selected Data Storage StocksCHASE H&Q Hambrecht and Quist LLC

Shares Stock Calendar Year Price/Earnings Market Cal 2000 MarketOut. Price Earnings Per Share Ratio Cap Revs. Cap/

Industry Sector Company (MM) 6/1/00 1998A 1999A 2000E 1999 2000 ($MM) ($MM) 99 Revs

Disk Drives Maxtor 118.0 10.75 0.52 (0.82) 0.62 NM 17.3x 1,269 2,761 0.5Quantum HDD Group 86.4 10.43 (1.13) (1.06) 0.56 NM 18.6x 901 3,516 0.3Seagate Technology 235.6 61.63 0.62 1.00 0.86 61.6x 71.7x 14,520 6,473 2.2Western Digital 134.2 4.31 (4.28) (3.46) (2.32) NM NM 578 2,265 0.3

Components HMT Technology 46.0 1.75 0.37 (1.08) (0.79) NM NM 81 197 0.4Hutchinson Tech. 24.7 11.94 (1.29) 0.02 (1.43) NM NM 295 441 0.7Komag 65.9 2.03 (3.51) (1.95) (0.46) NM NM 134 296 0.5Read-Rite 50.2 2.12 (2.75) (4.11) (2.57) NM NM 106 608 0.2

Capital Intevac 11.7 3.06 0.00 (1.02) (0.75) NM NM 36 41 0.9Equipment Veeco Instruments ** 16.7 55.63 1.08 1.45 1.82 38.4x 30.6x 929 280 3.3Removable Iomega 282.0 3.13 (0.15) 0.05 0.31 62.6x 10.1x 883 1,530 0.6

Average: 41x 49x 0.8

**No official H&Q coverage; First -call estimates. When referenced, “A”= actual; “E”= estimate.

The Past May Be Prologue or History MayBe Bunk: Reflections on a Perilous QuarterJohn Monroe, Chief Analyst, Rigid Disk Drives Worldwide and Conference Chair, Dataquest StorageTrack

It has been obvious for years that—in terms ofcertain business practices—the drive makershave needed to do something completelydifferent. But many hoped-for changes in thisindustry have yet to occur, and these quotesfrom industry veterans still—sadly, yethumorously—convey some deep truths aboutmadcap rigid disk drive (RDD) industrydynamics.

In 1998, factory revenue for all drive makersdeclined to $25.095 billion (on shipments of143.927 million units) from its historic high of$26.640 billion (on shipments of 128.332million units) in 1997. As Dataquest predicted,revenue declined and unit shipments increased.In 1999, Dataquest estimated factory revenue at$25.365 billion (on shipments of 174.455million units). Factory ASP declined to $145.40in 1999 from $207.60 in 1997. If precipitousprice declines continue, the industry will notexceed 26.6 billion in annual revenue until 2002

“It’s like a combination of Alzheimer’s disease anddéjà vu: We’ve forgotten how terrible it was allover again.”—Phil Devin, wryly (and warmly) commenting onhuman frailty in the context of industry price warsand overproduction.

Mike Cannon (Maxtor’s President and CEO):“You’ve got to be willing to pay more for thestrategic value of the storage we provide you with.”Major PC OEM Customer: “You folks [drivemakers] do it to yourselves. I’m willing to pay morefor storage. I’m just not willing to pay more thanmy competitor is paying for storage.”—Customer conversation, related by Mr. Cannonduring his luncheon speech at Dataquest’sStorageTrack Conference, June 17, 1999.

“I don’t think anything has changed. There are justfewer people to muck it up.”—Alan F. Shugart, ex-chairman of Seagate

Technology.


or 2003 (despite consistent, double-digit unit-shipmentgrowth). However, Dataquest believes that the drive makershave some power to change these trends.

Continuous price declines are, to a degree, inevitable andeven desirable in the RDD industry. The drive makers havedelivered extraordinary values to IT customers, and lowerprices have created vast new market opportunities. Butunnecessary price declines can be ruinous and are, in fact,preventable.

There is nothing new about punishing wars in this industry, butin June 1999 the desktop price erosions—caused bydesperation, greed and disinformation—displayed new rangesof needless insanity. In this essay, Dataquest will try to paint anin-depth perspective portrait of some historical, prevailing andpotential future market conditions in the RDD industry.

An Increasingly Capable IndustryIn 1999, the major desktop drive makers progressed rapidlyfrom 4.1-GB/platter to 10.2-GB/platter technologies. Themajor mobile drive makers began shipping 3.33-GB/plattermobile designs in February and March 1999, and achievedvolume shipment of 6-GB/platter mobile technology duringAugust and September 1999. This represented an effectivedoubling of shippable mobile areal densities in only sixmonths, and the August 1998-to-August 1999 year-over-yearincrease in maximum shippable mobile capacities per platterwas an astonishing 205 percent (from 2.1 GB/platter to 6.4GB/platter). Although enterprise product life cycles are moreelongated, the drive makers have also achieved greater-than-100-percent annual increases in enterprise areal densitiesduring recent years.

In December 1997, IBM’s initial shipment of 3.3 GB/platter,desktop GMR technologies was a landmark achievement. Theindustry quickly followed suit, but the integration of ultra-sensitive GMR technology was not easy for any drive maker.However, in spite of complex difficulties, all manufacturers arenow producing reliable volumes of drives that incorporateGMR heads, and there will be minimal or no production of anyMR-based RDDs subsequent to the second quarter of 2000. Ittook the industry more than seven years to make a completetransition from TFI- to MR-based technologies, but all drivemakers will have shifted to 100-percent production of GMR-based drive designs in little more than two years after IBM’sinitial shipments.

Because of GMR advancements, maximum shippable arealdensities for announced products now stand at 17.4Gbits/sq.in. (65-mm media, 10-GB/platter, mobile drives), 7.6Gbits/sq.in. (84-mm media, 7.3 GB/platter, enterprise drives),and 14.5 Gbits/sq.in. (95-mm media, 20 GB/platter, desktopdrives). The current world record for laboratory demonstratedareal density is 56 Gbits/sq.in. In December 1996, the worldrecord for laboratory demonstrated areal density was only 5Gbits/sq.in. We have performed a ten-fold increase ofrecording density in our laboratories and have expanded ournotions of what is possible with “conventional magnetics.” It

was initially thought that the deleterious effects of superparam-agnetism would begin to be apparent at 20 Gbits/sq.in. andwould surely be a manifest problem at 40 Gbits/sq.in., atwhich point conventional magnetic recording would requiresome form of optical assistance. Many engineers now expect toattain 200-to-300 Gbits/sq.in. shippable areal densities withconventional (if enhanced) magnetic recording techniques. Thetechnology barriers continue to crumble, and costs continue toplummet.

The industry has also displayed an ability to curb its collectivetendencies toward excess production. Dataquest wrote in theJanuary/February 1999 issue of INSIGHT: “If the drive makerscan manage a timely and accurate adjustment of their buildplans to meet (and not exceed) evolving market requirements,they will have a chance to transform the surplus wastelands ofthe industry’s cyclic history and create market conditions inwhich sustainable profits can become a reality.” At the end ofDecember 1997, the industry faced disastrous inventory levels(in excess of 35 percent of quarterly shipments). Throughoutmost of 1998 and 1999, the drive makers (for the first time inhistory) exercised exemplary restraint, keeping inventories atless than 20 percent of shipments during many quarters (at theend of December 1999, inventories were only 15.6 percent ofquarterly shipments). Irrational pricing has been an inevitablebyproduct of excess supply, and rational pricing has usuallyobtained during times of tight supply. With stricter inventorycontrols, the industry has taken a necessary first step towardcreating market conditions in which more-stable pricing canbecome more prevalent.

In addition to maturing inventory management and technologi-cal breakthroughs (which sometimes seem to partake more ofalchemy than of rigorous science), the industry has madeastonishing improvements in operational efficiencies. As aresult of various supply chain initiatives, flexible manufacturingprocesses and leveraged design enhancements, we havelearned (with pain and forbearance) how to make minor yetmeaningful profits with low-cost drives that must be sold atsubstantially less than $100; two short years ago, we thoughtthis might be impossible. Tough and turbulent businessconditions escalate daily and deepen our difficulties—andmany component suppliers have been pushed to the brink ofextinction (or beyond)—but we now see some feasible ways tomake money on products that (perhaps) will have to be soldfor less than $50 in the palpably near future.

Our recent operational and technological achievements havebeen astounding, and yet we still find ourselves incapable ofmaking consistent profits. Why? One obvious answer is thatthere are still too many capable competitors.

An Increasing Difficulty of DifferentiationIn spite of having fewer overall RDD producers than in prioryears, never before have so many viable RDD manufacturersbecome so simultaneously strong in being able to accelerateadvances in their technologies and actually deliver new

continued on page 18

Members featured inStorage News thisissue:

Adhesives Research, Inc.

Cirrus Logic Inc.

HMS Compounds, Inc.

Kerry Ultrasonics Ltd.

LDIC (LSI Design &Integration Corporation)

MKS Instruments

Morning Planet

n&k Technology, Inc.

Rudolph Technologies,Inc. (RTI)

The Minerals, Metals &Materials Society (TMS)

Valtech Corporation


We would like to feature your company in

Storage News and therefore encourage

IDEMA members to send News/Press

Releases (with photos) to Jeri Burdick,

INSIGHT Editor. You may send items either

by snail mail (IDEMA • 3255 Scott Blvd.,

Suite 2-102 • Santa Clara, CA 95054-

3013) or by e-mail ([email protected]).

Please note that when sending images

via an e-mail attachment, send only TIFF

or EPS files (not JPEG).

Adhesives Research, Inc. Expands GlenRock, PA R&D Facility

Adhesives Research, Inc. announced theexpansion of its R&D facility. The expansion to23,700 square feet from 13,000 square feet isa direct result of the steady double-digit growthof the company, and increasing demand forcustom research to develop innovativepressure-sensitive adhesive-based technologies.The added facilities will accommodate growthin the R&D function, which has doubled overthe last 24 months.

Adhesives Research employs a team-basedapproach, working with customers andsuppliers to develop unique bonding solutions.“Our approach to research and developmentbegins with really understanding what ourcustomers need,” said VP and technical directorof R&D, John Lind. “We are committed todedicating the resources necessary to commer-cialize the critical technology our customersrequire.” The R&D department’s strength lies inproduct conception and the successful commer-cialization of innovative products thatincorporate a pressure-sensitive adhesive. If therequired technology a customer needs does notexist, Adhesives Research is committed todeveloping a customized solution. VisitAdhesives Research, Inc. at www.adhesivesre-search.com.

New Crystal® Octal Device Fits CurrentIndustry Designs, Reducing System CostWhile Increasing Central Office LandlineCapacity Up To Eight Lines Per Chip

Tapping into its rich telecommunications patentportfolio, Cirrus Logic Inc. announced theindustry’s lowest power analog front-end (AFE)communications chip that offers up to eight linesper chip. Providers of telephone equipment usingthe European telephone standard, or “E1,” cannow increase their central office capacity up toeight times while reducing power consumptionby 15 percent. Cirrus Logic’s new CrystalCS61881 device replaces current chips used inline cards, SDH transmitters, broadband cross-connects and channel banks.

Patented matched-impedance drivers on theCS61881 reduce power consumption 15 percentand eliminate the need for a number of externalmatching components. The CS61881 wasdesigned for the booming European telecommu-nications market and exceeds all Europeantelecom standards. “The Internet has causedincreased demand for data access in addition totraditional voice access,” said Keith Cheney, VPand general manager for Cirrus Logic’sCommunications Division. “Cirrus Logic iscommitted to providing mixed-signal communi-cations solutions that will enable ourtelecommunications OEM customers to lead inthe expansion of the Internet infrastructure. VisitCirrus Logic Inc. at www.cirrus.com.

ESD Carrier Tape & Tray Stock

The newest additionto the HMSCompounds, Inc.product line is theHMS-1000C. Thisbulk-conductivestyrenic-alloy film,roll stock, and sheetis used to packagesemiconductors,disk drivecomponents, and

subassemblies worldwide. The compounded,bulk-conductive packaging stock is unlike coatedpackaging stock where static remains on thesurface. Exceptional thermoformability, maximumESD/mechanical protection, availability and lowcost are all features of HMS products. Foundedin 1989, HMS Compounds, Inc. is one of theworld’s leading suppliers of ESD PackagingStock. Visit HMS Compounds, Inc. atwww.hmscompounds.com.

High-Specification Cleaning Systems for PrecisionEngineered Components

The Microclean PESeries of high-specificationcleaning systemsfrom KerryUltrasonics isdesigned to meetthe demandingcleaning require-ments of theprecisionengineering sector.Representing a fullyproven alternativeto old solventcleaners, Kerry’s PEsystems offer bettercleaning resultsand dramatically

lower operating costs. Also, the multi-stage clean, rinseand dry process can be configured to have zero directenvironmental impact. Designed to operate in strictcleanroom conditions, PE systems can be used for thehigh-volume cleaning of virtually any precision-engineeredcomponent. Common examples are computer disk driveassemblies and both scientific and ophthalmic glassproducts.

To ensure consistent and repeatable cleaning results, all PEsystems are fitted with the latest Autotrans twin-headautomatic work transporter. Kerry’s Autotrans is fullycompatible with Class 100 cleanroom conditions. ContactKerry Ultrasonics Ltd. in Singapore at 65-7452936.

First-Time Release Outside USA at DISKCON Japan

LDIC (LSI Design & Integration Corporation, a leadingdeveloper of storage mixed-signal product, introduced thefirst Single Chip Drive Integrated Circuit member of itsPerformance Series LD810X family of Drive Single ChipSolutions. “LD810X family of products provide bestperformance with patented architecture,” said presidentand CEO Mehdi “Max” Bathaee.

This product is the first result of their partnership with state-of-the-art technology leader Sanyo SemiconductorCorporation in storage product development. Visit LDIC atwww.ldic.com.


MKS Instruments Acquires Compact Instruments

MKS Instruments, Inc. entered into an agreement to acquireCompact Instruments, a privately held start-up company withproprietary technology in process monitoring for semicon-ductor manufacturing and other manufacturing processes.Compact Instrument was created by former Applied Science& Technology, Inc. co-founder Donald Smith, along with co-founders Matthew Besen and Daniel Behr. CompactInstruments’ focus has been on small, less expensive vacuuminstruments used to monitor and control various productionprocesses. Their first product, still in development, is acompact mass spectrometer for monitoring critical industrialand semiconductor processes. This technology, for which apatent has been applied for, is aimed to reduce the cost andsize of monitors for advanced processes, making it feasiblefor the first time to have mass-spectrometer-based processmonitors as standard features on leading-edge semiconduc-tor process tools and on chemical or pharmaceuticalprocesses.

MKS Instruments, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer,manufacturer and supplier of instruments, components andsubsystems used to measure, control and analyze gases insemiconductor manufacturing and similar industrialmanufacturing processes. For more information, call MKSInstruments at 1-800-227-8766.

Morning Planet announces DataStoreX.com, E-Community for the Data Storage Industry

“First of its kind news, commentary, and communitywebsite give industry participants access to advancedcontent and resources.”

Morning Planet announced DataStoreX.com, the datastorage industry’s first business-to-business informationcommunity. DataStoreX.com is a comprehensive E-Community that meets the needs of both buyers andsuppliers.

Leading industry players will be talking about the hottesttopics in the data storage industry on DataStoreX.com. Userscan browse or search for products and vendors through acomprehensive online directory of companies involved in thedata storage industry. The Buyer's Guide can be used as asource for multiple vendors or get information on newproducts. Purchasing professionals can use the ProductCatalog to get quotes and locate vendors. DataStoreX.comis designed as a living E-Community that puts participants incontact with other industry professionals from around theworld. Online discussion boards and forums will be ahotspot of industry chatter, with special focus on marketconditions, stock prices, and hot tips. Visit Morning Planet atmorningplanet.com.


n&k Technology, Inc. Announces Two NewThin-Film Analyzers n&k Technology, Inc. announces two new thinfilm analyzers: the n&k 3000, a fully automatedthin film characterization system for patternedwafers, and the n&k 1700, a table-top version.Both versions reliably, accurately, and preciselyanalyze ultra-thin films, and are designed torapidly characterize complex film structures ofsemiconductor and giant magnetoresistiverecording head wafers. These analyzers arecommonly used in data storage, semiconductor,flat panel displays optical coating and industrialcoating markets.

The patented optics of the n&k analyzersprovide state-of-the-art signal-to-noise ratiomeasures over the deep ultra-violet to nearinfrared spectral range—a feature that isessential for today’s fine geometry microelec-tronics and integrated circuits. Visit n&kTechnology, Inc. at www.nandk.com.

Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (RTI) MetrologyTool Purchased by Major Data StorageManufacturer

Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (RTI), a leadingprovider of film thickness metrology systems,has received an order for a sixth MetaPULSE®metrology tool from a major data storageproducts manufacturer. The order demonstratesthe expansion of advanced technology beingused in the magnetic data storage industry. Thetools are to be used for thin-film measurementsduring the development and manufacturing ofadvanced GMR read-write heads for use inhigh-density magnetic disk drives.

The MetaPULSE unit operates on the sameprinciple as sonar, using picosecond laser pulsesto generate sound reflections from the filminterfaces. These reflections (echoes) are detectedand timed, then related to film characteristics suchas thickness, roughness, and interface adhesion.MetaPULSE provides fast, high-precisionmultilayer information at a relatively low cost permeasurement compared to measuring individualsingle layers on a test substrate or cross-sectionanalysis by electron microscopy. The nondestruc-tive measurements can be made on productwafers and, as opposed to focused ion-beam andSEM cross sectioning, can be made at multiplepoints on a product wafer, providing effectiveprocess control. Visit Rudolph Technologies, Inc. atwww.rudolphtech.com.

In Tune with Grand Ole TMS Tradition—Another Successful Annual Meeting &Exhibition

The 129th Minerals, Metals & Materials Society’s(TMS) Annual Meeting & Exhibition ended asexpected, in tune with its successful past annualmeetings. Over 3,550 professional engineers andresearchers from government, industry, andacademia attended the 129th TMS AnnualMeeting to expand their knowledge through anyof the 200 technical sessions and 1,000individual presentations. The sessions andindividual presentations covered topics relevant totechnological developments in materials sciences,minerals processing, primary metal production,basic research, advance materials applications,and metallurgy. Visit TMS at www.tms.org.

Valtech Corporation Appoints NewTechnical Director of R&D Center

Valtech Corporation announces the appointmentof Mohammed “Moe” Taravati as technicaldirector of the R&D Center in Livermore, CA.Taravati will oversee the development of newprecision chemistries for the disk drive industry.The company is headquartered in PottstownPenn., and is a worldwide supplier of formulateddetergents to the disk drive industry. Visit ValtechCorporation at www.valtechcorp.com.

Texas Instruments AD


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Study of Extremely High-Density Recording forDisk Drives Recording Data at 40–100 Gbits/in2Ed Pivonka, The National Storage Industry Consortium (NSIC)

The National Storage Industry Consortium (NSIC) ispursuing a study of Extremely High-Density Recording fordisk drives, aimed at developing the technology needed forrecording data at 40–100 Gbits/in2. One part of that studyproposes the use of native block sizes larger than thecurrent de facto standard of 512 bytes. Such a change isinevitable if disk drives are to continue to advance incost/capacity at the most aggressive pace possible.

While there is no immediate problem that would requirelarger block sizes, it makes sense to adopt a large-block-size strategy now, to provide sufficient lead time for bothhardware and software companies to make the necessarychanges, and to minimize disruption to customers.

NSIC proposes that the native-block size recorded ondisks be increased from the currently pervasive 512 bytesto a larger size, initially 4096 bytes. The change ismotivated by the expectation that, as we push the technol-ogy to significantly higher areal densities, an increase inrecording density will not result in an equivalent increasein user capacity on the disk. As recording densityincreases, it becomes more and more difficult to reliablyretrieve data from the surface of the disk.

For many years disk technology advanced at a rate thatallowed for increased density with little degradation of theread process, so reliability of data retrieval has been rela-tively constant. Where there was degradation, thereliability of data was restored by means of more powerfulerror-correcting codes (ECC). Since redundancy associatedwith these codes was modest, the overall effect has beenthat disk capacity, as seen by the user, has increased inproportion to the recording density—at a compoundedgrowth rate of about 60 percent per year—with commen-surate improvement in cost/megabyte.

In the not-too-distant future, density increases will stretchthe limits of the technology with reliable reading, depend-ing strongly on enhanced ECC where there must be signif-icantly more information in a block for proper initiationof the read process. The overhead needed for clockingdata, decoding data, and correcting errors will be substan-tial. Since much of this overhead is “per block,” ratherthan “per byte,” short blocks will be much less efficientthan longer blocks. The result is that users could see therate of increase in capacity slowing, even if the densitycontinues to increase on a basis of more than 60 percentper year. Because of the increasing difficulty associatedwith technological improvement, density increases willeventually be less than 60 percent per year, slowing further

the rate of capacity improvements and cost permegabyte.

At today’s densities, changing the native-block size on adrive from 512 bytes to 4096 bytes would increase thecapacity seen by a user by 7 percent to 10 percent. Sincethat represents a two- to three-month advancement intechnology, a change in the common block size has rela-tively little benefit today. However, in the middle of thenext decade—when recording density is expected toreach 100 Gbits/in2, with significantly degraded rawerror rate—changing the native-block size on a drivefrom 512 bytes to 4096 bytes is estimated to increase thecapacity seen by a user from 25 percent to 50 percent(depending on the assumptions made about future disks).At the current rate of advancement, that leads tobetween two and four quarters of improvement inachieving particular levels of cost/capacity. If the rate ofdensity increase slows, as must eventually happen, theimprovement will be even greater. Transition to largerblock size is seen as inevitable therefore, and the changein the native-block size should be initiated in the nearfuture.

For the industry to accommodate larger blocks, theremust be a strategy in place that provides sufficient leadtime for both hardware and software providers. NSICintends for hardware and software evolution to bedecoupled, so that changes can be made in an orderlymanner. The key points are:

• A lengthy period in which data can be addressed aseither 512-byte blocks or as 4096-byte blocks.

• An architecture such that legacy software based on512-byte blocks continues to work with no change.

• A transition time after which performance may sufferif data is addressed on a 512-byte basis.

We will be discussing a roadmap for moving to larger-physical-block sizes (for both SCSI and ATA disk drives)that will ease the transition for system developers andsystem integrators.

Already discussed was why a move to larger-physical-block size will be needed if the industry is to continue itsgrowth in areal density and benefit the end user. So howcan we get there?

A near-term strategy proposes that 512 bytes be retainedas the native-block size, and that new code based on


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4096-byte blocks be accommodated. Thus new systemsand software designers would immediately be able todesign with the 4096-byte blocks in mind. Because of dif-ferences in SCSI and ATA drives, two differentapproaches must be taken.

First Approach: At an early stage, drive manufacturerswould provide SCSI disk drives (using the SCSI commandset implemented on a serial interface such as FibreChannel, SSA, or 1394) that would allow logical-blockaddressing (LBA) based on either 512-byte blocks or4096-byte blocks with equivalent performance.

The SCSI standard provides a Reformat command fordefining the size of a logical block in a disk drive, which,for this proposal would be either 512 bytes or 4096bytes. For Stage 1 it is expected that drives would merelyaggregate eight 512-byte physical blocks to create a4096-byte logical block in response to a Reformatcommand.

The proposed Reduced Command Set for the 1394interface does not presently provide for a Reformatcommand. A change to the Reduced Command Set willbe required to accommodate the larger block size.

Not all drives currently manufactured are capable of beingReformatted to a 4096-byte logical block. This stage de-pends on the ability of drive manufacturers to incorporatethis function in production drives.

Second Approach: The current ATA (IDE) standard doesnot allow for block sizes other than 512 bytes. Therefore,for ATA drives during the early stage, systems and soft-ware designers would be encouraged to access all data on4096-byte boundaries.

When the necessary changes to SCSI, 1394, and ATAstandards are in place, and drives that readily accommo-date the larger block size are widely available, disks willbegin to use 4096 bytes as the native-block size. Access ona 512-byte basis would continue to be supported, but per-formance would be inferior to access done on a 4096-bytebasis, and might well be inferior to previous drives with a512-byte native-block size.

In the long term, it will be appropriate to consider evenlarger block sizes (in powers of 2). The benefits of very-long blocks can be seen in the DVD experience. Forexample, the error rate in DVD is 50 times worse than thatof CD, requiring more powerful error correction; the per-centage overhead required for the DVD’s error correction(with 32K-byte blocks) is actually less than that for the CDwith 672-byte blocks.

Informal contacts in the industry indicate that 4096-byteblocks could be accommodated with sufficient lead time,but that very-large blocks (e.g., 32K bytes) would requiresignificantly more effort. Drive manufacturers assume thatthere will be little difficulty in using longer blocks fornewly written programs, but recognize that much of thecurrent software depends on 512-byte blocks. For thisreason, a lengthy transition period is proposed.

Over time it is expected that upgrades to existing programwill have accesses converted to 4096-byte blocks. In theearly stages, the residual 512-byte accesses are proposed towork as they do now. 512-byte accesses may have rela-tively poor performance. Obviously it will be advantageousto convert all accesses that are critical for performance.

Some of today’s systems use blocks that are not precisely512 bytes. At their request, disk manufacturers supplyvariations starting from 512. Two potential approaches fora system that cannot be converted to 4096-byte blocks are:

1. Retain block sizes currently used, taking a penalty of upto 50 percent in cost/megabyte.2. Convert to a block size of approximately 4096 bytes (a

multiple of the current block size).

This article has been an overview of the proposed move to largerblock sizes. For a copy of an NSIC White Paper that providesperformance and capacity-tradeoff details, please contact EdPivonka at NSIC at 858-279-8583 or by e-mail [email protected].


DISKCON USA—Keynote DinnerFeaturing Michael Brown, CEO and Chairman of theBoard, Quantum CorporationTuesday, Sept. 19, 2000The Westin Hotel, Santa Clara, CANo Host Cocktails: 6 p.m.Dinner: 7 p.m.

Michael Brown joined Quantum Corporation in 1984.After holding a succession of marketing and generalmanagement positions, he was named Chief ExecutiveOfficer in 1995 and then Chairman of the Board in1998. During his tenure as CEO, Quantum hasachieved record sales and profits and quadrupled itsmarket value. He is also the Acting President (withresponsibility for overall operation) of Quantum'sDLT & Storage Systems Group, whose mission is todevelop Quantum's business in removable mediastorage and storage systems.

Before joining Quantum, Brown was a researchassociate at Braxton Associates, a strategic planningconsulting firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree ineconomics from Harvard University and a master’sdegree from Stanford University.

CDS Analytical Ad


1. Microcontamination Symposium

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m. to noon Chair: Donald J. Perettie, Ph.D., President, ADMATInternational

The disk drive industry is increasingly characterized by micro-dimensions in head lithography, film thickness, and physicalspacing of head/media within the drive, resulting in extremesensitivity to ESD, solvent, and particulate contamination. Thissymposium addresses control of these factors in today’sproduction environment, all of which have an effect in thesuccess of a disk drive product.

Kristan Bahten, Technical Development Manager, RippeyCorporation

Particle Removal and the Mechanics of Brush Scrubbing for DiskMedia and Substrate Cleaning

John C. Hulteen, Environmental Manager, 3MGas Phase FTIR Detection of Outgassing Compounds: AnInstantaneous and Comprehensive Outgas Analysis Method

Tom Oberjat, International Market Manager, Safeskin Corporation ESD Electrostatic Discharge and Glove Selection in ElectronicsManufacturing

Donald J. Perettie, Ph.D., President, ADMAT International (developed with 3M)

Use of Hydrofluoroethers as a Cleaning Solution for Disk Drive Components

2. IEEE INTERMAG Toronto Conference Review

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Chair: Robert E. Fontana, Jr., IBM Research Division VP,IEEE Magnetics Society

A select group of speakers from the recent IEEE INTERMAGToronto Conference (held April 9–13, 2000) have been invitedonce again to present papers on innovative storage technolo-gies—sure to be of maximum interest for DISKCON attendees.These presenters will discuss high-density perpendicular record-ing, longitudinal recording at 100 Gbits/in2, recording at 1 Gbit/sec data rate, exchange-stabilized media, and magnetictunnel junction MRAM technology. If you missed INTERMAG, orwant to hear the latest from the industry’s foremost magnetictechnology experts, then definitely attend this session.

DISKCON USA Technical Conference SessionsSept. 19–21, 2000

E. Noel Abarra, Fujitsu CorporationNovel Longitudinal Media with Thermal Stabilization Layers

Mary F. Doerner, IBMAdvanced Media on Glass Substrates for 30 Gbits/in2 and Beyond

Francis Liu, Read-Rite CorporationDemonstration and Characterization of Greater than 50 Gbits/in2

Recording SystemsAndreas Moser, IBM

Writing and Detecting Bits Near 100 Gbits/in2 and BeyondErhard Schreck, Maxtor Corporation

Power Dissipation Due to Air Drag Effects of Various Components inDisk Drives

Stone Shi, Read-Rite CorporationMagnetic Recording at a Data Rate Beyond 1 Gbit/sec

Hisashi Takano, Hitachi CorporationRealization of 52.5 Gbits/in2 Perpendicular Recording

Saied Tehrani, MotorolaRecent Developments in Magnetic Tunnel Junction MRAM

3. Requirements of Storage Architecture

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Chair: Clod Barrera, Director of Systems Strategy, IBMStorage Subsystems Division

Data storage systems are undergoing a rapid evolution, basedon the wild growth of the Internet and the expansion ofcorporate open systems. This phenomenon has createdmarkets for storage products more versatile than the traditionalnetwork file server, resulting in a new generation of SAN, NAS,and network storage products, as well as software storagemanagement offerings. This session will help you to distinguishbetween the Neanderthals and the top-rated expert solutionsas you design the next-generation disk drives and interfaces.

Dick Blaschke, Executive VP, Marketing, Xiotech (Seagate subsidiary)Virtualization May Change Disk Topographies

Ron Engelbrecht, VP & General Manager (Witchita Operations), LSILogic Storage Systems Inc.

The Customer Has the Final Answer on StorageVic Jipson, President, Network Storage Group, Maxtor Corporation

Network Storage Appliances: The Case for ATA Disk DrivesJerry Lopatin, Senior Director of Storage & Platforms, NetworkAppliance, Inc.

Network Storage, Out of the SAN BoxChris Wood, Director of SAN Strategy, Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Storage as a Means to an End

This year’s Technical Conference at DISKCON USA offers new concurrent sessions that have beenadded to provide a more complete assessment of storage technologies, application requirements,and business outlooks for the industry. With sessions running concurrently, attendees will have theopportunity to choose from a variety of sessions, designed to interest a wider storage audience andthat reflect advances in magnetic technology and the growing spectrum of disk drive applications.Please attend as many sessions as possible, and explore the many facets of storage.

The following is a list of the nine sessions being offered this year—along with dates, times, speakersand topics—as of June 12. This list is subject to change, so please visit the IDEMA website atwww.idema.org for updates on the latest list of speakers and topics.

DISKCON Technical Conference Chair: Ed Grochowski, IBM Research Division


4. New Applications—Where is Storage Going?

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.Chair: James N. Porter, President, DISK/TREND, Inc.

What kind of storage devices will be needed in the emergingand formative markets? More effective designs of tape anddisk drives have created novel formats intended for entirelynew applications. Digital photography, mobile computing andcommunications, games, and video/audio applications haveall stimulated development of storage products usingmagnetic, as well as alternative, technologies. By attending thissession, you will explore what is happening in these marketsand gain an understanding of which product designs will makethe best fit in the future.

Pantelis Alexopoulos, VP & CTO, Advanced Technology, Maxtor Corporation

Magnetic Storage Has a Great FutureTatsuo Baba, Senior Director, Optical Storage Engineering, Hitachi America

DVD-RAM is on a Fast TrackEd Cuellar, Manager, OEM Marketing, SanDisk Corporation

Your Future is in the CardsDave Davies, CTO, DataPlay, Inc.

New Mobile Markets Need New Storage SolutionsRakesh Laroia, Manager, Mobile/Desktop HDD Strategy, IBMStorage Technology Division

IBM Microdrive, Technology and Applications

5. Disk Drive Electronics/Data ChannelTechnology

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.Chair: Barry Rossum, COO, Acorn Technology

What makes a successful disk drive design? The electronics, ofcourse! Today’s disk drives rely on the latest in microprocessor,preamplifier, and data channel circuit designs in order tosupport areal densities in the tens of Gbits/in2 range and atdata rates approaching 100 Mbits/sec with bit-error rates farlower than 10-10, while the degree of electronics integrationhas increased manifoldly. As challenging as today’s designsare, the future represents more demands in circuit design andcoding efficiencies. Attend this session to learn the latest designspecs for today’s electronics, and find out what’s on thedrawing board for the future.

John Contreras, IBM Almaden Research CenterDesign Considerations for a Disk Drive’s Read/Write IC

Russ Garcia, Texas Instruments, Inc.The Progression of Drive Electronics, a Two-Year Outlook

John Harris, Lucent Technologies

Nersi Nazari, Ph.D., VP, Signal Processing Technology, MarvellSemiconductor

What’s Beyond PRML?

6. Disk Drive Product Technology

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Chair: Michael Russak, VP, R&D and CTO, HMTTechnology

The right component technologies, processes, and drivedesigns translate to leadership in our industry. This selection isaccomplished in an environment of rapidly changing technolo-gies for heads, disks, electronics, and mechanical components.In this session, product-design experts will address keytechnologies and their evolutionary trends. GMR heads, andthe use of newer media materials and substrates, will bediscussed to support continued areal-density growth.

Gerardo Bertero, Komag, Inc., Director, R&D SputteringThe Path to 100 Gbits/in2

Sunita Gangopadhyay, Seagate TechnologyPresent and Future Advances for GMR Recording Heads

Dennis Saxby, President, 2Rite CorporationDesign of Head Interconnect Assemblies for Next-Generation DiskDrives

Jun Xie, Ph.D., Product Applications Manager, IntevacParticle Control in the CVD Processes for Ultrathin Carbon Overcoats

7. Disk Drives for New Consumer Applications

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Chair: Darci Arnold, Consultant

Recent consumer electronic applications have been emergingwhere disk drives can provide storage capacity based on theirlow cost, high capacities, and small form factors. This sessionwill focus on these newly defined markets for products such asaudio devices using the MP3 format, audio jukeboxes, hometheaters, personal video recorders, and finally, Internetinterfaces. If you invest in this session, the dividends could be anew world of personal disk drive designs.

Patrick Hanlin, Seagate TechnologyDan Levin, ReplayTVLarry Phillips, PanasonicScott Smears, SonySteve Vasquez, Request

8. Business Perspectives for the Industry

Thursday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.Chair: Oz Fundingsland, President, OSF International

Today’s disk drive industry faces market challenges that couldexpand its business status in the financial world, or continuethe "so-so" performance that has characterized storage inrecent years. This session will draw upon the analyses of WallStreet specialists, as well as business executives from within theindustry, to formulate a picture of where the disk-drive industryis headed and what will be its future.

John Dean, Salomon Smith BarneyWilliam Lewis, Chase H&QGillian Munson, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter

9. Manufacturing Technology

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Chair: To be announced

The manufacturing environment for hard disk drives is themedium where technology, design, and operations meet tocreate a successful product line. This final session will addressmanufacturing system architecture, advanced tooling andtesting, process handling, and contamination control, offeringexpert descriptions of the latest technologies and givingattendees a first-hand view of manufacturing directions.

Terry Bluck, VP, Equipment Engineering, IntevacNew Systems Architecture Expands Process Capabilities

Harold Hess, Ph.D., Phase MetricsMedia Substrates Testing Techniques

Abid N. Merchant, Senior Research Associate, DuPont CompanyEffect of Solvent on Lube Performance of Hard Disk

Erik Mori, Director of Technology, General Chemical CorporationSolvent Reprocessing and Reclamation

Donald J. Perettie, Ph.D., President, ADMAT International(developed with 3M)

The Influence of Deposition Solvent on Lube Bonding Ratio forMagnetic Media



products on time and instrategically significantvolume.

Contrary to appearances, itis not exactly true that alldrive makers are onprecisely the same techno-logical and operationalplane at the same time.However, it is certainly moretrue now than it has everbeen in the past, and thetrend does seem to betoward an ever-greaterapparent uniformity. Thisshrinkage in variation has inpart been caused byindustry-wide technical andoperational efficiencies, butit is also the result of arefinement in customerpreferences, which nowseem to favor fewer optimaldesigns.

In any case, the fact that somany major domestic andinternational RDD makershave simultaneouslyachieved considerablemeasures of technical andmanufacturing prowess willcontinue to create sometoughly twisted near-termchallenges for the wholeindustry. Unfortunately, inthe RDD industry, agoverning greed for theevanescent grail of marketshare often overshadowsbottom-line fiscal concerns.Too many companies havetoo much at stake, and it isunlikely that any companywill willingly relinquish itsmarket-share goals (even ifa reduction in a company’smarket-share ambitionswould make greater fiscalsense). As Bette Davis saidin the film All About Eve:“Fasten your seat belts, it’sgoing to be a bumpy night.”

Portrait of a PricingSpiralWe have a bad habit in thisindustry of selling a new“Lexus” for used “Tercel”prices. There is a difference—which we often ignore—between offering exceptionaldeals and engaging in going-out-of-business sales, and(lemminglike) the RDDindustry has favored the latter,especially in the desktoparenas. Take, for example,June 1999.

A variety of market factorscoalesced to create unprece-dented desktop RDD pricingturmoil during June 1999. Inthe high-technology markets,“history” may be (as HenryFord once said) “bunk,” butDataquest believes that theunique, yet depressinglyfamiliar, pricing dynamics ofthe second quarter of 1999can provide the industry witha cautionary tale that shouldbe remembered and instruc-tively retold for many years tocome.

Three critical turns of events,which partially represent thedynamics of the quarter, standout in Dataquest’s mind:

1. The OEM demand forhigher-capacity desktopdrives declined during thesecond quarter of 1999,whereas demand for ultra-low-cost sub-10-GBdesktop drives increased indirect relation to thegrowing popularity of sub-$700 computers. Drivemakers who had plannedfor a strategic mix ofhigher-end desktop saleswere forced to try to sellmore of their low-enddesktop products to meetrevenue goals and reducepotential inventoryexposure.

2. Seagate achieved time-to-market desktopcompetitiveness, which

meant that Seagate’s ultra-low-cost U4 drives hadalready established abeachhead in the OEMchannels at a price thatwas tough but notimpossible to beat (theprice was low, but notneedlessly low, in May1999).

3. An irrational pricingfrenzy—fueled bydesperation and disinfor-mation—ensued, andalready depressed entry-level desktop pricesdropped by more than $15(about 18 to 20 percent) inless than three weeks.

Inventories had increased inMarch 1999 and wouldincrease again in June 1999,and Seagate’s presence as aqualifiable supplier at themajor OEMs caused anexcruciating new dimensionto appear in an alreadyfiercely competitive desktoplandscape (much to thechagrin of Seagate’scompetitors, who had muchto lose and fought to salvageor extend their primary OEMshare). However, theinventory surpluses wereminor compared to theexcesses of prior years, andSeagate’s time-to-marketexecution was something itscompetitors should haveanticipated. Dataquest hadrepeatedly told its clientsthat—given the company’sintense executivecommitment—Seagate wouldeventually get it right, andpredicted that when Seagatedid get healthier with itsdesktop products, themarkets would changedramatically.

The desktop marketschanged dramatically in thespring of 1999, but the factremains that there was simplyno meaningful strategic or

tactical reason for droppingdesktop pricing to such lowlevels in June 1999. Whatthe industry sadly exhibitedwas money-losing behavior,with no appreciable marketshare shifts and no clearwinners (other than theOEMs). Everybody lost.

Dataquest finds it curiousthat executives from all of thepublicly held drive makersclaimed to have responsibly“walked away” from OEMprice quotes that did notmake good business sense,and yet entry-level desktoppricing still fell to unprece-dented levels. Obviously, thetop-tier PC OEMs had theluxury of enhanced multiplechoice and pricing leverage,and mercilessly used thisleverage to create adownward pricing spiral.Obviously, more than onedrive manufacturercapitulated. Obviously, manyof the drive makers soldsome products at desperatelydiscounted prices (whetherfor the sake of merelymaintaining or strategicallyincreasing their market shareis irrelevant). Some drivemakers may have quoted anoutrageously low price withno intention of delivering anysubstantial volume of productat such a discounted price—this is a standard if ignobleploy that has been used inmany industries to decimatecompetitors’ short-termprofits.

Dataquest believes that, inthis kind of pricingenvironment, there are noinnocent bystanders, onlysurvivors, and all players areperpetrators. All of thedesktop drive makers shouldhold themselves jointly andseverally accountable forlegitimizing new entry-levelprice points which alsodrastically dragged down the


price of higher-capacity desktop drives. Because of a lack ofpatience, combined with the difficulty of determining whichprice quotes were real and which were not, the industryestablished—as it has so often done in the past—prematurelylow (and mostly profitless) prices.

Erroneous Decisions, Unnecessary ErosionsPrior to this perilous quarter, major OEMs had not demandedthat entry-level RDDs had to be available for such low prices inJune 1999, but they certainly encouraged and accepted thesediscounted prices (and are now demanding, but not yetobtaining, even lower prices). Frenzied desktop price declinesabated in the second half of 1999 (and some drive makerseven raised prices), but prices had already fallen to needlesslylow levels, and the profits reported by some suppliers for theDecember 1999 and March 2000 quarters could have beenaugmented, and the losses reported by other suppliers couldhave been lessened.

Manufacturing and channel inventories increased slightly atthe end of March 2000 (as occurred in 1999) and OEMdemand seems to be slackening somewhat (as it almostalways does during the spring and summer months). Theindustry is set for a replay of June 1999, but hopefully thisyear more sanity will prevail. However, Dataquest foresees noimmediate relief from ferocious desktop RDD pricingdynamics. Dataquest also fears that these dynamics willbecome more prevalent in the mobile and enterprise RDDarenas, which, to date, have remained somewhat more saneand stable.

Product line managers, who are primarily responsible forpricing decisions in this industry, have to deal with a stupefyingquantity of disinformation. It is always hard to judge thedifference between a necessary and a foolhardy pricereduction, because customers and salespeople are prone tostrategic falsehoods. Most RDD salespeople are reimbursedbased on revenue (rather than, say, on combined averageselling prices to major OEMs), and most corporate OEMbuyers are compensated based on their ability to negotiatebetter prices. These compensation schemes definitely favor theOEMs and not the drive makers, and Dataquest suspects thatmany unholy alliances forged over cocktails have expeditedRDD price erosions.

The desperation caused by chaotic market conditions oftenleads to erroneous pricing decisions (largely based on tacticallies). And yet—as times of product allocation, which grantclarity and perspective, have taught us—it is a hard historicalfact that we have witnessed customers in various channelspaying a higher price for entry-level and other RDDs whenthese products could not be found at a lower price (no storagecustomer can possibly afford to be without adequate suppliesof RDDs). It is also true that, in the RDD industry, a seeminglytrivial price stabilization can create an immense difference inearnings.

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This is hardly “rocket science,” but we tend to forget that noimmutable law of nature ordains that RDD prices must drop todangerously unprofitable levels every quarter. People (in theguise of product line management and sales executives)authorize or refuse to authorize RDD price reductions. Peoplecan prevent unnecessary price erosions.

Some Deeper Reckoning Reliable, high-capacity, high-speed, low-cost RDDs have beenand will continue to be key enablers of the widespread prolif-eration of information, entertainment, and communicationtechnologies. The global revolution in IT simply would nothave been possible without significant cost-reductions andperformance enhancements in RDD design and volumeproduction processes. But the drive industry has yet to receiveappropriate recognition for its staggering achievements, and inrecent years has been able to generate only paltry profits—or,far more often, inordinate losses—from its enormous andcritical contributions to computing efficiency.

Dataquest finds it rather excruciatingly ironic that EMC2—anenterprise storage solutions provider whose heterogeneoussubsystem products could neither exist nor evolve without asolid base of continually advancing high-end RDDtechnology—has a market valuation (in excess of $70 billion)that dwarfs the current combined market valuation of all theindependent, publicly held RDD suppliers (Seagate, Quantum,Maxtor and Western Digital). Even if one adds some range ofestimated net current value for the RDD divisions of othermajor suppliers (IBM, Fujitsu, Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung andNEC), the perceived worth of a single, large RDD customer(EMC2) still exceeds, by an approximate factor of three, themarket value of the entire RDD industry—an arresting andenlightening fact.

Vital components (RDDs) will never be so greatly valued ascomplex solutions (high-availability storage subsystems), butsomething can surely be done to diminish the futuredevaluation of indispensable RDD technology. Virtually alldrive makers are now beginning to move up the value chainby developing and selling complete storage solutions, butthere are also other ways in which we can enhance earnings.The RDD industry is staffed by phenomenally bright andcapable people who are certainly smart enough to increasedepressed shareholder values by dedicating more genius andenergy to the task of materially changing profitless businesspractices.

It should be instructive to remember that, throughout thehistory of the RDD industry, wars of attrition have beenrepeatedly tried and have repeatedly failed to engender moreprofitable market conditions for the surviving suppliers—”Another victory like that and we’re done for,” as a wisegeneral once remarked after a “Pyrrhic” battle in which hesustained stunning losses. In this industry, market share shiftshave not necessarily had any direct relation to corporate

earnings (or losses), and the game of market share gain merelyfor the sake of market share gain has proven in the past to bea mostly profitless and irresponsible endeavor.

The market shares of the top six drive suppliers—Seagate,Quantum, Fujitsu, Maxtor, Western Digital and IBM—are nowmore equally distributed than they have ever been in the past.In 1995, almost 30 percentage points separated the shares ofthe No. 1 and No. 6 drive makers; in 1999, less than 10percentage points separated the shares of the No. 1 and No. 6drive makers. In the future, Dataquest predicts that it will bemuch harder (and perhaps less profitable) for any single drivemaker to gain and maintain a significant share advantage forany extended period of time over the vastly improved (ifsmaller) “pack” of competitors.

Dataquest sees few (if any) long-term strategic, technological,or economic reasons for there to be more than five major RDDproducers. Currently, there are 10 major and two minor RDDsuppliers. Dataquest predicts that there will be no more thanseven—and possibly five or fewer—major RDD makers by theend of the year 2001 (if not much sooner).

Consolidation may take the form of R&D partnerships,narrowing of product focus, mergers, alliances, acquisitions,abdications, or failures. It should certainly be less expensive forthe surviving RDD manufacturers to figure out some legal wayto coordinate and consolidate their efforts, rather thancontinuing to bludgeon each other to death in protracted pricewars, decimating cash reserves and shedding a great deal ofprecious fiscal “blood” as grave by grave they civilize theground. But further consolidation will constitute only a partialsolution to the industry’s problems.

There were 62 RDD makers in 1988, and they delivered amere 15.8 million drives during that year. Now there are only10 major suppliers (only seven for desktop RDDs). In 1999these companies shipped 174.5 million drives (130.2 million ofwhich were desktop RDDs, up from 106.9 million in 1998). Inthe last decade, the markets for RDDs have grown enormously(and will continue to grow), and the number of RDD suppliershas dramatically declined.

These developments should have created—within the legallimits of free enterprise—some kind of constructive, cooperativeincentive for strategically lucrative business endeavors. And yetthe industry still finds itself incapable of producing consistentprofits. History has shown us that—despite the favorablechances created by expanding markets—consolidation, in andof itself, will not be sufficient to heal the RDD industry’s myriadfiscal woes. Some deeper reckoning and more profoundchanges will be required.




Vendor Recommendations

• For the sake of maintaining the extraordinary degree ofinnovation, creativity, and technological change in thisindustry, Dataquest believes that it will be important to haveat least a few healthy and thriving independent RDD, head,and media suppliers.

• No matter how strong the vertically integrated giantsbecome, it will be crucial for the industry to haveindependent suppliers to challenge the internal efforts ofcompanies that make their own media and heads, to keepthese companies alert and force them to perform at thehighest levels of their capability. Without these “external”influencers, whose genius and energy are focused on asingle vital aspect of technology, Dataquest predicts that thetechnical accomplishments in this industry will be diminishedand the richness of innovation will be impoverished.

• It has been common practice for a drive company to qualifytwo or three (or more) vendors of heads, media, and othercomponents for each drive platform. In the future, all non-vertically integrated and even vertically integrated drivemakers should establish more exclusive and dedicatedrelationships with independent, external component suppliersin order to ensure adequate technology advancement,consistently cost-reduced quality, and mutual survival.

• It has also been common practice for major OEM customersto qualify at least three—and in some cases, as many asfive—RDD vendors for each system or subsystem platform. Inthe future, more exclusive and dedicated arrangementsshould be pursued, which could result in deeper strategicpartnerships and mutually beneficial cost reductions.

• All drive makers (and OEMs) must realize that cost willdetermine overall corporate profitability to a much greaterdegree than technology delivered for a certain price. Pricedeclines are inevitable, and obtaining even marginalpremiums for advanced RDD and other mainstreamcomputing technologies has become next to impossible. Thelowest-cost manufacturers will gain an increasingadvantage. But quality cannot be sacrificed for the sake ofcost; on the contrary, quality and reliability at every levelmust be enhanced.

• Manufacturing flexibility—the ability to quickly ramp ordecrease production rates (to satisfy unexpected upsides incustomer demand or to minimize costly inventory exposure),as well as the ability to quickly change production lineconfigurations to make different drive families or variabledrive capacities—will be crucial for survival. All drive makersmust increase their operational efficiencies and flexibility.

• All drive makers need to determine how to engage only inthose battles which can be won (or, at the very least,survived) and how to avoid those battles which should noteven be fought.

• The legacies of “technology reigns” and “greed is good”have not generated any deep or enduring relationships (toDataquest’s knowledge). Notwithstanding Seagate’sprolonged dominance in the enterprise markets (which hasdeclined considerably from the high pinnacle—greater than60 percent—Seagate commanded in the early-to-mid 1990s)and IBM’s Herculean efforts to maintain a lead in areal

density (which recently has been eradicated), no drive makerhas (yet) been able to truly “own” a technological advantagefor very long, and in the last two years all drive makers—particularly in the mobile and desktop arenas—have beenable to attain roughly the same curve of technologyadvancement.

• If the “perceived value” of the RDD industry’s brilliantcreations—which combine physics, chemistry, aerodynamics,and a host of other scientific disciplines—increasinglybecomes seen as “more or less the same stuff, offered atmore or less the same time, at more or less the same price,with more or less the same outstanding features frommultiple reliable suppliers” (i.e., as “commodities”), thenwhat will actually determine a manufacturer’s future marketshare (and its sustainable profits) will be the quality anddepth of its vendor and customer relationships.

• All drive makers should maintain and enhance all relation-ships at each stage of the supply chain by developingin-depth, confidential, mutually beneficial, and trustingpartnerships with carefully chosen vendors and strategiccustomers. All OEMs should become more willing (lessadversarial) participants in these evolving relationships.

• A deep commitment to the creation of more mature andenduring alliances—”Nature does not know extinction, all itknows is transformation…” (Werner on Braun, the devilalways gets the best lines)—may be the only thing capableof showing us the ways in which sustainable profits canbecome a reality in the RDD industry.

Inconclusive ConclusionsA global need for more storage is accelerating in multipledirections and dimensions, and emerging consumer electronicsappliances, as well as other new and existing applications forRDDs, should give drive manufacturers enduring opportunitiesfor more sane and lucrative engagements with majorcustomers.

A recent industry rallying cry and buzz-phrase seems to be:“Thirty gigabytes for thirty bucks!” Let us assume that some dayin the near-distant future we can reliably produce a 30-GBdevice for a burdened cost of $30. Will we sell this hypotheticalproduct for $45, $39, $35, $32 or (God help us) $29? Weneed to remember that the choice really is (to a large degree)ours to make. We can have healthy (even fierce) competitionwithout merciless and irrational bloodletting.

Dataquest believes that this industry can transform many of thedebilitating ways in which it has (unfortunately) chosen to dobusiness in the past. The drive makers must realize that it is intheir power to create—with patience and foresight, and withinthe legal limits of free enterprise—markets in which pricing canbe more stable. Until executives in the RDD industry wisely usethis power to generate attainable profits (and pay less attentionto the evanescent grail of market share gains), earnings will bestifled, and the drive makers will find themselves mired in theirusual quandary of being unable to make a decent anddeserved income from their amazing ability to deliver almostmagical advances in a necessary technology.



Exclusive Opportunity ForDISKCON USA Exhibitors

Affordable Advertising Opportunities Available toDISKCON USA 2000 Exhibitors

Have your corporate message viewed by every DISKCON attendee by advertising in the officialShow Directory. We distribute the directory to every registering attendee and also providecopies at literature kiosks throughout the Convention Center. This colorful directory providesexhibitors with the perfect opportunity to showcase their products economically. Four-color adsare priced at only $995 for a full-page placement, and grayscale versions may be purchasedfor $845. To guarantee visibility as DISKCON attendees thumb through the directory, print yourad on heavier cover stock; a full-page 4-color ad printed on heavier cover stock costs $1,800.

Leave a lasting impression of your company and place your corporate logo with your directorylisting. This advertising opportunity is affordable at $75.

Exhibitors: don’t forget to submit your corporate product descriptions that will be printed in theshow directory.

Reserve your space today! Contact IDEMA’s Show Group, 408.492.1436, for additionalinformation and an ad insertion form. Artwork is due July 15th.

Build excitement about your company at DISKCON USAwith a banner ad on the IDEMA website.

Don’t pass up this exclusive opportunity to generate traffic to your booth and build awarenessabout your company’s new product offerings at DISKCON USA 2000. Last year over 80 percentof the attendees registered online, and during the month of September the website received54,242 hits, so your banner ad is guaranteed to be seen by the industry’s key decision makers,including corporate executives, buyers, sales executives, and engineers.

Positioned for high impact on the navigation bar, banner ads are ideal for inviting DISKCONUSA attendees to visit your booth, attend product demonstrations, or for showcasing your keyproducts and services. And with only two ads per page, your message is sure to get the attentionit deserves!

Only DISKCON USA exhibitors (who are IDEMA members) may take advantage of this exclusiveopportunity. Space is limited, so don’t delay. Contact Creative Director, Chris Carrig, [email protected] to reserve your banner ad space today.

Banner ads in the DISKCON section of the IDEMA website will be posted from July throughSeptember. Major advertisers in INSIGHT are entitled to receive 25 percent off listed prices.

DISKCON Home Page: $1,000 (one position left)DISKCON USA Home Page: $1,000 (one position left)DISKCON USA Registration Page: $1,000 (one position left)Charity Golf Tournament Page: $800Technical Conference Page: $800Technical Education Page: $550

Other Pages: $450


Why do you think IDEMA membership isimportant?

As to the benefits of membership, I think theyare self evident. But on a longer-view basis itoccurs to me that disk drives are going to play abig role in a major shift in the way that we usecomputers, or perhaps a better way to say it is,in the way we distribute information. I think it isappropriate to have an industry association thatwill continue efforts that result in better commu-nication, higher education levels, more definedstandards, and a greater awareness of theimportance of our technologies to society as awhole.

As an IDEMA volunteer, what have youdone specifically to increase awarenessabout the data storage industry and issuesrelating to magnetic recordingtechnology?

I continue to meet with organizations in Asia andalways have an extra copy of INSIGHT with me.I am frequently surprised at how little some ofthe folks in our business know about IDEMA andthe services we offer. This is especially truefurther down the supply chain. We still havemuch room for growth in membership andparticipation, in my opinion.

Gary N. Davis is the principal consultant of DavisConsultants Asia. Mr. Davis has 29 years of experiencein the data storage industry, including senior marketingpositions with Perkin-Elmer Corporation’s MemoryProducts Division, Spectra Logic Corporation, and EikonInc. Prior to establishing Davis Consultants in 1993,Mr. Davis held the position of Director of Sales atCambrian Systems Inc., a supplier of test equipment tothe disk drive industry. Mr. Davis is a member of theInternational Executive Committee of IDEMA as well asa member of the management committee of IDEMAAsia-Pacific, and Chairman of the IDEMA MalaysiaAdvisory Committee. He is also a member of theAmerican Chamber of Commerce (Malaysia), theAmerican Electronics Association (AEA), and theSecurity Advisory Committee of the American Embassy,Kuala Lumpur, U.S. State Department, Office ofConsular Services.

Could you elaborate on the InternationalExecutive Committee (IEC) as to its function,the members, past/upcoming activities, etc.?

The role of the International Executive Committee isto examine how we may organize to be a trulyglobal association. We have been on a majorexpansion of member services in Southeast Asiawith much more to come. Our markets are trulyinternational.

How have you contributed to the success ofthe IEC? Would you change/add anything tothe IEC, and if so, what?

It is too premature to call the IEC a success. Wehave much to consider and the geographicdispersion of the committee makes meetingproblematic. However, we have made progress indefining the ways that IDEMA could progress tobecoming a more global organization. Insofar asmy individual contribution, I believe it is influencedby my experience with the dynamics of theproduction side of our industry in Asia, coupledwith the experience I had earlier in my careercloser to the design centers and markets in theUnited States and Japan. It has served to broadenmy view about the differentiation of needs,depending on the organization’s charter. I hope Iwill be able to help IDEMA translate that intouniversally attractive member services. Ourbusiness has changed, with operations in Asiataking on a greater strategic role then ever. Inaddition, we see an increase in design influencehere. Finally, buying practices in our industry haveshifted to allow Asia manufacturing locations moredecision making to accommodate the extremelyfast pace of change our industry is famous for.

Gary Davis, Davis Consultants Asia Sdn. Bhd.

Eastman ChemicalCompany

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CHNOLOGIES


Disk/Substrates CommitteeNext Meeting: TBD

The committee, in order to keep current with newstandards and with changes in the industry, isinvestigating the possibility of exploring a mid-sizesubstrate (70–75 mm). Check the IDEMA website atwww.idema.org for information on a futureworkshop.

Lube Thickness & Contact Start/Stop (CSS)Testing Subcommittee

Next Meeting: July 26, 2000, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The subcommittee has completed work on a set ofterms and definitions for lube thickness, contactstart/stop (CSS), and laser bump heights. Thesedefinitions were sent out for ballot in May. Thesubcommittee continues its work on three testmethods: 1) Method for Measuring the Thickness ofBonded Lubricant on Disk, 2) LubricantMeasurement Method, 3) Bulk CharacterizationMethod.

Disk Magnetics Subcommittee

Next Meeting: July 20, 2000, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

(Conference call information to follow)

The subcommittee is re-balloting the DiskMagnetometer Pilot Study. The Study had threegoals: 1) Determine single-lab and multi-labcorrelation of magnetometers on selected samplesamong a limited number of laboratories; 2)Support development of an IDEMA magnetometertest method for magnetic remanence, coercivity and

remanent coercivity; and 3) Determine the needfor full-scale, round-robin test using the newtest method. There has been considerablediscussion between committee members inJapan and the United States regarding

sample size and specifics in wording. Toensure an international standard, thecommittee has decided to re-ballot thisdocument.

Optical Inspection Subcommittee

Next Meeting: July 20, 2000, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The subcommittee has sent an updated list ofdefinitions out to ballot as an updated standardsdocument in the IDEMA Standards Binder. Thedefinitions need some discussion, due to negativevotes, before the balloting process can becompleted. The subcommittee is also working toupdate the remainder of the definitions to send tothe balloting process

Emitted Shock & Vibration CommitteeNext Meeting: August 15, 2000, 9 a.m. to noon

The committee is developing a useful specificationthat defines the vibration and shock energyemitted by a storage device and transmitted to thehousing supporting the device. The committee hasa call out to anyone or any company that cansupply working disk drives for use in testing.

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)CommitteeNext Meeting: TBD

The committee is working to establish standardsthat will address water recycling and usage.

Energy Efficiency Subcommittee

Next Meeting: TBD

The subcommittee is progressing on a proposalfor measuring power consumption of a hard diskdrive (i.e., watts per gig). The members of thesubcommittee are focusing on developing explicitdefinitions for each variable, and how each ismeasured. The subcommittee should have adocument ready to send to ballot by mid-2000.

ESD CommitteeNext Meeting: July 20, 2000, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The General Practices with GMR/MR Heads haspassed the balloting process and is now the firstofficial ESD Committee standard (#S01-00). Thesubcommittee continues to work on four otherproposals: 1) Tweezers; 2) MR and GMR Heads—ESD Testing; 3) ESD Materials for MR and GMRHeads; and 4) Packaging for Disk DriveComponents. The present focus is to determine ameasurement of ESD for tweezers.

IDEMA has an active Standards Program with morethan 20 worldwide committees, subcommittees, andtaskforces covering critical issues facing the datastorage industry today. Members are encouragedto take an active role in the development of industry standards by attending meetings andparticipating in technical symposia offered throughout the year.

Check the IDEMA website at www.idema.org forupcoming standards meetings, agendas anddirections. All meetings are held at the IDEMAoffice, 3255 Scott Blvd., Suite. 2-102, Santa Clara,Calif. (unless otherwise indicated).

StandardsManager, Kristen Montan408.330.8109


HDD Reliability CommitteeNext Meeting: July 20, 2000, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The committee is working on developing Benchmark ReliabilityTests for HDDs used in desktop and portable computermarkets. They are also developing an AFR Summary documentcontaining philosophy and mathematics regarding AFR, AFPand ARR. On completion, the AFR Summary document will bepublished online at www.idema.org.

Heads CommitteeNext Meeting: August 24, 2000, 9 a.m. to noon

The committee passed the Femto Transducer ballot, now partof the IDEMA Standards Binder. After discussion of the FemtoBond Pad Location ballot, it was decided to table this item untilthe industry moves closer to widespread use of the femtomeasurement. There is a white paper currently in development;watch the website for its publication. On Jan. 21, 2000, thecommittee passed the Femto Head Pinout and PolarityConvention ballot, now part of the IDEMA Standards Binder.

Praxair Ad

Microcontamination CommitteeNext Meeting: July 27, 2000, 9 a.m. to noon

The committee has developed a survey that will be sent toIDEMA members to elicit new topics for the committee topursue; for more information, contact Kristen Montan at408.330.8109. The committee continues working on thefollowing issues: “Particulate Cleanup Test For Hard DiskDrives.” This ballot is now in procedural-review process. Thecommittee is discussing development of a standard on“Outgassing Analysis for Running Drives by GC-MS.” Thecommittee is also studying the following proposals: 1) DynamicHeadspace/Cryogenics, 2) Online Analysis of HDD Heads(Sliders) Using ION Chromatography, 3) ICP-MS-Metals, 4)Sample Preparation for SEM Analysis.

Cleanroom Contamination Subcommittee

Next Meeting: TBD

The subcommittee has begun work on a proposal forGuidelines for Contamination Control in Disk DriveCleanrooms and Controlled Environments. This proposal willoutline how to build, use, operate, and monitor disk driveindustry cleanrooms.


Like the colorful chameleon that is forever changing its appearance toadapt to its surroundings, IDEMA too is changing to meet the dynamicneeds of its worldwide membership. In 1999 we added new technicalcourses to our education program, expanded our website to includeonline registration and standards information, and offered symposia inSingapore and Malaysia. For a chameleon, the ability to change isessential for survival—can’t the same be said for our industry?

Director ofServices, Debbie Lee408.330.8108

Every year IDEMA surveys its members at DISKCON USA to find out what you value about IDEMAmembership. We consistently hear that the promotional and educational opportunities are tops oneveryone’s list. Our goal is to provide services that best represent our members’ needs. Inresponse to the information received through our survey process, we have upgraded andimproved several areas of member promotion and technical education.

Member Promotion: In previous issues of INSIGHT, we merely listed new members to IDEMA sincethe prior issue. However, starting with this issue—as our way of putting out the welcome mat—we will also begin spotlighting our new corporate members by including their company profilesfrom the online Membership Directory. We encourage new members to set up their online profilesas soon as possible, and to keep the information current with organizational changes as theyoccur. New university and individual members will also be listed in this section (by name only).By taking advantage of this membership feature, new members benefit by receiving increasedexposure in INSIGHT. All members benefit by being able to manage their own information(addresses, phone numbers, contacts, profiles, etc.) themselves, and by the fact that the companyinformation they maintain online will also be utilized for the annual Membership Directory(printed annually for distribution at DISKCON USA).

Technical Education: Dr. Sally Bryant, Director of Education, continuously works with industryleaders to develop educational classes that meet the needs of our ever-changing industry. Classeslisted on our website are typically held at the IDEMA headquarters (located in Santa Clara, CA),but can also be held on-site for any of our members. In addition, on-site classes can becustomized to include company products and tailored for specific skill levels—with a variety ofhigh-quality classes to choose from, IDEMA’s technical education program will help you keeppace, and possibly take the lead, in this dynamic and competitive industry. If you’re interested inadvancing your knowledge about the latest technologies driving the data storage industry, contactSally (408.330.8106 or [email protected]) to learn more about the technical education programand/or to schedule an on-site class.

We hope that you will take advantage of the many features and benefits that IDEMA works sohard to provide each year. For detailed information about membership at IDEMA, visit us online atwww.idema.org. If you feel your employees would find value in having us give an on-site presen-tation of the manyfeatures and benefitsthat membership inIDEMA provides, givesus a call—it’s our jobto make your jobeasier.

And Now a Word to our Sponsors…IDEMA would like to acknowledge and thank the followingsponsors:

Birkenstock—for donating drawing prizes for the ESDExtravaganza on April 18–19, 2000 in Santa Clara, CA.

Guzik Technical Enterprises—for sponsoring the coffee breaks atrthe recent DISKCON Japan Disk Forum.

Morning Planet—for providing wine at the recent Quarterly DinnerMeeting on May 25, 2000 in Santa Clara, CA.

NHK International Corporation—for donating golf prizes at theColorado Open Golf Tournament (held in conjunction with theTribology Symposium) on June 9, 2000 in Longmont, CO.


profiles

2Rite CorporationDennis Saxby 6116 Highway 9, Suite 3Felton, CA 95018-9709 (t) 831-335-9710(f) 831-335-9711 [email protected]

Product summary:Contract productdevelopment for magneticrecording electronichardware and systems.Specialized test andmeasurement equipment formagnetic recording research

In previous issues of INSIGHT, we merely listed new members to IDEMA since the prior issue. However,starting with this issue—as our way of putting out the welcome mat—we will also begin spotlighting newcorporate members by including company profiles from the online Membership Directory. We encouragenew members to set up their online profiles as soon as possible upon joining IDEMA, and to keep theinformation current with organizational changes as they occur. We are pleased to announce the 18 newestmembers to the IDEMA family of data storage professionals (and the names of their corporate contact):

and development. Microwavecircuits and interconnectassemblies.

AssetTRADERobert Specht 1016 West 9th AvenueKing of Prussia, PA 19406 (t) 610-992-1900(f) 610-992-1917 [email protected]

Product summary:AssetTRADE is a full-serviceprovider of asset redisposi-tion services for sellers of

used capital equipment,including internal redeploy-ment, negotiated bid andonline/offline auctions. Bycombining conventionalmarketing techniques with e-commerce technology,AssetTRADE helps usedequipment sellers connectdirectly with used equipmentbuyers, which benefits bothparties. Buyers looking to addproduction capacity quicklycan identify provenproduction equipment andmachine tools from aworldwide base of sellers.

Chiba Precision Co.,Ltd.Itsuro Ishii Daiei Funabashi Bldg.1-26-2, HonchoFunabashi, Chiba 273-0005Japan (t) 011-81-47-422-7911(f) 011-81-47-422-7539 [email protected]

Product summary:Precision motors, actuatorsand spindles for disk testsystems.

Gorham AdvancedMaterialsAndrew Nyce 211 Mosher RoadGorham, MA 04038 (t) 207-892-5445(f) 207-892-2210 [email protected]

Product summary:Business and technicalconsultants/conferenceorganizers.

InfolyticaCorporationMax Zinger 300 Leo Pariseau, #2222Montreal, Quebec H2W 2P4Canada (t) 514-849-8752(f) 514-849-4239 [email protected]

Product summary:“Magnet,” electromagneticsimulation finite elementsoftware.

Katz AnalyticalServicesJennifer Mathias 8330 Commerce DriveChanhassen, MN 55317 (t) 952-361-5570(f) 952-361-5571 [email protected]

Product summary:Cleanliness testing (includingNVR/FTIR, ionic contamina-tion, outgassing, LPC, andmore), failure analysis andmaterials characterization.

MicroPhysics, Inc.David Wilkey 5441 Avenida Encinas, #ACarlsbad, CA 92008(t) 760-929-1750(f) 760-929-1760 [email protected]

new member

AveryDennison Ad

profiles


Product summary:MicroPhysics manufacturesdynamic hard disk drivehead testers and tape headtesters for R&D and pro-duction purposes. We alsomanufacture head-to- mediainterface spacing/flying-height analysis testers forboth hard disk drives andtape drives.

Morning PlanetPaul Newman119 Minnis CircleMilpitas, CA 95035 (t) 408-945-9411(f) 408-945-9403 [email protected]

Product summary:Cutting-edge InternetSolutions Provider, withsolutions ranging fromBusiness-to-Business, E-Commerce, Portals toE-Commerce, and corporatewebsites.

Nanometrics, Inc.Roger Ingalls310 DeGuigne DriveSunnyvale, CA 94086 (t) 408-746-1600(f) 408-720-0196 [email protected]

Product summary:Supplies non-contactmetrology equipment tosemiconductor processequipment/materials, flatpanel display and magnetichead manufacturers. Primaryproducts include thin filmmetrology systems (usingbroadband reflectometry,spectroscopic ellipsometry,and FTIR reflectometry),overlay registration/optical

auditing kits.

QRP, Inc.Laurie Lee Casselman P.O. Box 28802Tucson, AZ 85726-8802 (t) 520-790-3533(f) 520-790-0811 [email protected]

Product summary: QRP,Inc. is a leading independentsupplier of gloves andfingercots for use in hightechnology industries andcleanrooms. An extensiveoffering of products ishighlighted by Q-SeriesTM

nitrile, Hi-Pro™ BioTek® andPolyTuff® brands. QRP Inc.has been protecting people,products and processesworldwide for 25 years.

Sagitta USA, Inc.Tony Ruffini 2910 Stevens Creek Blvd.,Suite 109San Jose, CA 95128(t) [email protected]

Parent company:Sagitta ES, LtdRamat-Gan, Israel

Product summary: Sagittaoffers automatic samplepreparation solutions forSEM, TEM and SurfaceAnalysis. The systems use on-line video microscopy,robotics and submicronpolishing technology (SMPT)to provide fully automatedsample preparation. The

linewidth measurementsystems and defect inspectionsystems for lithographyprocess monitoring.

PPI Technologies,Inc.Phillip Peek 3388 Mike Collins DriveEagan, MN 55121(t) 651-452-1318(f) 651-452-1421 [email protected]

Product summary: PPImanufactures wet processingsystems for precisioncleaning, slider processing(cleaning, etching, debond-ing), disk cleaning, waferprocessing, etching,stripping, and plating.Automated, semi-automatedand manual systems.Ultrasonics, high-pressurespray, contact cleaning,megasonics, etching andstripping baths, quick dump,spray, cascade rinses, hot air,nitrogen, and vacuum dryers.Precision tooling and fixtures,cleanroom equipment, andprocess support equipment.Consulting services andprocess development.

Prostat CorporationKim Becker 1072 Tower LaneBensenville, IL 60106(t) 630-238-8883(f) 630-238-9717 [email protected]

Product summary: ProstatCorporation manufactureselectrostatic auditingequipment and integrated

NEXT-1 cross-sectioningsystem for SEM and TEMsample preparation offersfast “straight-to-the-point”0.1 micron accuracy. Thissystem dramatically reducessample preparation time,greatly improves repeatabil-ity, and eliminates the risk ofmissing the target.

Seiko InstrumentsUSA—AdvancedMfg. Tech.Everette Phillips 2990 W. Lomita Blvd.Torrance, CA 90505 (t) 310-517-7859(f) 310-517-8158 [email protected]

Parent company:Seiko Instruments Inc.Makuhari, Japan

Product summary: SeikoInstruments advancedmanufacturing technologyand assembly equipmentgroup provide a variety ofautomation services from acomplete line of precision,clean, and ESD-rated robotsto referrals for automationservices through a network ofsystem integrators to specialequipment designed specifi-cally for HGA, HSA andHDD assembly. Seiko alsoprovides services for designfor automation. Seiko hasrelated groups providingmotors, bearing and othercomponents for hard drives.

Small Precision ToolsHenk Esmeyer 1330 Clegg StreetPetaluma, CA 94954 (t) 707-765-4545(f) 707-778-2271

profilesnew member

profiles


[email protected]

Parent company:SPT Roth GroupFabrikstrasse 23, CH-3250 Lyss, Switzerland

Product summary: Toolsfor the disk drive industry forultrasonic bonding and ballbumping at the slider andpre-amps. Die and wirebonding tools for thesemiconductor industry.Precision specialty productsfor the telecommunicationand medical industries.

Toda CitronTechnologies

Mike Bergkamp 304 Turquoise StreetMilpitas, CA 95035-5431 (t) 408-935-0900(f) 408-935-0100 [email protected]

Product summary:Microdisk development andmanufacturing.

USA Tolerance RingsJoseph C. Trainer 370 Sullivan WayWest Trenton, NJ 08628 (t) 609-882-8391(f) 609-538-1110 [email protected]

Product summary: The

profilesnew member

profilesUSA Tolerance Ring, acylindrical band of stainlesssteel into which is formed arow of precise corrugationsthat traverse the width of theband is used to retain thebearing cartridge into theactuator arm of a hard diskdrive (HDD). The corruga-tions or “waves” that traverseacross the width/verticalheight of the tolerance ringcreate what is essentially apress fit by allowing thewaves, acting as radialsprings, to be compressed. Itis this function that allows thetolerance rings to retain thecartridge into the e-block inthe vertical and horizontalplanes at a level severaltimes greater than anyexternal loads that the unit

may be subjected to.

Z-Tek, Inc.Bryan Clark47825 Warm Springs Blvd.Fremont, CA 94539 (t) 510-687-0520(f) 510-687-0528 [email protected]

Product summary: Disk testand measuring equipment,including high-speedautomation, optical test, andother “plug-and-play” testerupgrades.

Seagate AD


Precision Cleaning Process and EquipmentTechnology Enabling Continuous CostReduction for HDD Media ManufacturersBy Dave Frost and Yassin Mehmandoust, Oliver Design, Inc.

IntroductionThe compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in arealdensity of the hard disk drive (HDD) industry continuesto accelerate due to the continued advances in magneticrecording and related component technology. In theearly 90’s, IBM pioneered the use of magneto-resistive(MR) head technology, which started the trend of contin-ually increasing the CAGR in areal density. By themid-90s, after the volume production and commercializa-tion of MR technology, the CAGR in areal densityaccelerated from 30% to 60%.

Today, with the industry fully transitioning to giganticmagneto-resistive (GMR) head technology, againpioneered by IBM, the current CAGR in areal density isstill accelerating and is above an astounding 100%,meaning that storage capacity will more than doubleevery year. This now not only allows for companies toincrease drive capacities, but also allows for the elimina-tion of certain components at a stated capacity as arealdensity increases, thus reducing costs. Because the HDDindustry is essentially a commodity market, costs andreducing costs are paramount in competing successfully.

Due to the strong emphasis on cost reduction and thecontinued acceleration of the CAGR in areal density, thefocus on defect reduction in the production of HDDmedia has never been greater. This is because defectsdirectly influence yield, and yield directly impacts cost.For example, a 1% in yield improvement will saveapproximately $.05 per disk, or $50 thousand permillion disks shipped. For those companies shipping 10million disks per quarter, a savings of more than $2.0million per year is achievable with a 1% yield improve-ment. This savings can be even more substantial with

additional defect reduction and yield improvement. Table1 gives a possible roadmap for cleaning requirements;however, these requirements would change with addi-tional acceleration in the CAGR in areal density.

One important objective of any HDD media manufactur-ing organization is to implement enhanced precisioncleaning processes and equipment that allow for increas-ing consistency and reducing costs. Precision cleaning willcontinue to be a driving force in reducing costs for HDDmedia manufacturers. This article will provide an over-view of the technology involved in cleaning high-performance HDD media.

Defects and Defect AdhesionKiller defects (those causing complete rejection in quality)can be quantified in two categories. One killer defectcategory is micron and sub-micron particles that adhereto the surface of the disk by several means, such as vander Waals forces, capillary forces, chemical bondingand/or electrostatic forces. Another killer defect is verysmall organic films or particles. For simplicity, the articlewill refer to a defect as belonging to one or both cate-gories.

Micron-sized particles can be detrimental to the qualityof the sputtered magnetic film’s ability to adhere to themedia surface; they can also cause a fatal head crash atfinal test. As where a single (1–3) micron size particle canbe fatal, several (.1–.5) sub-micron size particles will not;however, they will cause unacceptable bit defects and/orcause other defect issues. These defects can cause veryunpredictable rates of film delamination because thesputtered magnetic films are very reactive to manymaterials. Additionally, they are extremely detrimentalbecause they can grow in size over time, are very difficultto detect, and usually only become apparent after themedia is tested or shipped.

Defect Origins and RemovalThe defects are brought into the system on the surface ofthe disk by several means, such as in the form of residualslurry from the preceding polishing or texturing processstep. Another is from the particles electrostaticallyadhered to the surface from the cleanroom and operatorenvironmental influences.

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Measurable Defect Size .8 .5 .5 .3 .2 .1

Amount Allowed/Surface <5 <3 <2 <2 <2 <2

Organic Residue Allowed 0 0 0 0 0 0

Table 1. HDD Media Defectivity Roadmap for 1998–2003,Oliver Design, Inc.


Another important contributor to particle generation isfrom the cleaning system itself generating particles frompoor mechanical design such as insufficient filtration,mechanical rubbing, or plumbing “dead legs” which cancause bacteria or microbial organisms generation. Allthese design issues can be resolved through appropriatedesign engineering strategies and implementation.

A number of technologies are available to remove themany types of defects from the surface of the media, suchas mechanical brush scrubbing, ultrasonic immersion, andmegasonic immersion. Regardless of the technology used,the intent is to physically and/or chemically counteractthe adhesion force on the defect, or chemically transformthe defect to a soluble species and then effectively removethe defect from the system. The technology chosen shouldbe done in order to maximize particle removal efficiency(PRE) at the lowest cost. PRE is a percentage and isdefined as the measured number of particles removedafter the process divided by the measured number ofparticles existing before the process multiplied by 100.The PRE percentage is a useful measurement in determin-ing the “cleanability” of a particular cleaning process.

The right combination of technologies should also

provide for a large “Process Window” from which tooperate within, such that high degree of process capabil-ity will provide for easy statistical process control andrepeatability.

Mechanical brush scrubbing: Brush scrubbing isconsidered one of the most effective methods forremoving micron and sub-micron sized defects. Brushscrubbing has evolved over the years, and current brushscrubbing technology has excellent PRE when time isconsidered (Figure 1). Brush particle contact, fluidviscous shear, and solution characteristics are the majorremoval mechanisms in brush scrubbing technology.

Primary forces influencing effective PRE for brushscrubbing include scrubbing time, brush speed, brushcompression, disk speed, solution characteristics, brushmaterial, brush/solution flow dynamics, and disk/brushinterface design.

Many advances have occurred that increase the level ofparticle removal capability, reduce scratching, andincrease brush life such as the use of improved PolyvinylAlcohol (PVA) brushes, flow-through mandrels (Figures2 and 3), and cascade brush scrubbing. Cascade brush


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scrubbing is a recent improvement in brush scrubbingtechnology that is beneficial in both performance andcost. By translating the disk through a series of continu-ally cleaner PVA brushes (Figure 4), this technologydecouples scrub time from throughput. This allows forlonger scrub times, which ensure reduced defect countswhile maintaining high throughputs and further reducingcosts. The continuous improving nature of brushscrubbing technology ensures it will be used for the nextgeneration of media in the foreseeable future.

Ultrasonic cleaning: Ultrasonic cleaning involvesutilizing a transducer that converts electricity into highfrequency (68, 104, 132, 170, 200, and 250 kHz)ultrasound vibrations or waves in a heated (optional)chemical tank to remove adhered particles. Particulartank design considerations are important in order toensure effective flushing of the dislodged defect from thesurface (avoiding reattachment) and the system. It iscrucial that the ultrasonic energy is equally distributedthroughout the tank.

The particle removal mechanism is from the cavitationalpressure imparted on the particle by the highly concen-trated imploding forces. Higher frequency ultrasonics arepreferable, because they provide a greater number ofsmaller cavitational forces per surface area. Lowerfrequency ultrasonics have a smaller number of large

cavitational forces per surface area. In general, higherfrequencies (≥104 kHz) are better for PRE and surfacepitting. Lower frequency (<104 kHz) is more prone tosurface pitting damage. Solution characteristics alsoheavily influence surface damage.

The primary forces influencing effective PRE for ultra-sonic cleaning are: transducer frequency (Figure 5) andphysical placement in tank, power density, time, tempera-ture (Figure 6), flow rate (Figure 7), solutioncharacteristics, tank geometry and material selection.

Megasonic cleaning: Megasonic cleaning is actually verysimilar to ultrasonic cleaning technology (using atransducer to convert electricity into waves in animmersion tank), but is simply defined in the frequencyregion above 400 kHz and near 1 mHz. At thesefrequency regions the energy essentially becomes a beamthat must be focused on the substrate or surface area tobe cleaned, and will affect tank design and transducerplacement. One limitation of megasonics is its line-of-sight nature, such that anything in between the substrateand the transducer can cause a masking effect.

Particle removal in megasonic cleaning relies on thereduction of the boundary layer thickness on thesubstrate and acoustic streaming in the tanks. Acousticstreaming is the motion of fluid in a sound field.Acoustic streaming velocities increase with increasingfrequency and power, but decreases with the kinematicviscosity of the solution, making choice in solution char-acteristics very important. Although megasonic frequencyis much higher than ultrasonic frequency, cavitation stillexists and plays an important role in particle removal.

Megasonic cleaning has proven to be beneficial in theremoval of sub-micron particles and works very well as acomplementary process step to ultrasonic cleaning. Theprimary forces influencing effective PRE for megasoniccleaning are: transducer frequency and physicalplacement in the tank, power density, time, temperature,flow rate, solution characteristics, tank geometry andmaterial selection (Figure 8). Some suppliers of megason-ics offer different types of transducer configurations thatare pulsed in arrays or are on full time.

Drying Drying: The final process step in the cleaning is therinsing and drying of the disk. There are several differenttechnologies available, all with benefits and associatedcosts. As the last process in cleaning, drying should havea robust process capability and should at least be particleneutral (not add any particles). A drying process that isparticle negative (capable of removing particles) ispreferred, due to the fact the quality of rinse solutionscan vary. A particle-negative drying process ensures thatslight variations in rinsing quality prior to drying will beaddressed.


Figure 1. Brush scrubbing has excellent PRE vs. scrub time.

Figure 2. Flow-thru brush design improves flushingof defects. continued on page 38


5 T H A N N U A L M A R K G E E N E N T E C H N O L O G Y F O R Y O U T H

CHARITYGOLFTOURNAMENTSept. 18, 2000

Castlewood Country Club • Pleasanton, Calif.

Team with IDEMA and Ronnie Lott tohelp educate underprivileged youth

The tournament will kick off the weekof DISKCON USA, IDEMA’s annualtradeshow and technical conferencededicated to the data storageindustry. For the fourth year IDEMA ishonored to join forces with formerSan Francisco 49er (and recent Hall-of-Fame inductee) Ronnie Lott and hischarity organization, All Stars HelpingKids (ASHK).

This year Ronnie and ASHK havepartnered with Shoot for the Stars,Inc., a non-profit organization thathas developed an after-schoolprogram for elementary students inBay Area school districts reporting lowacademic performance. This programhas blossomed into the formation ofa privately run high school/middleschool—Eastside College PreparatorySchool—where students attend on fullscholarships funded by donationsfrom individuals, corporations,foundations, and other privatesources. This year the schoolcelebrates its very first graduatingclass of eight students and here’s thebest part, every one of those studentshas already been accepted to majoruniversities—a first for all of theirfamilies.

We are passionate about helpingchildren less fortunate than others,and your patronage is our mostvaluable asset—participate in thisyear’s charity event, through tax-deductible sponsorships and/ordonations, and contribute to the $1.2million needed annually to runEastside School. With your help we

hope to make sure that each andevery student who measures up to thechallenge of going for a highereducation will have that opportunity.

IDEMA is pleased to offer its membercompanies the opportunity to increasetheir visibility at this popular event bysponsoring holes, contests, rangeballs, prizes, beverage carts, cocktail-hour, the awards banquet, and more(all tax deductible)! Companies, aswell as individuals, can help supportASHK and their after-school programsby making a generous tax-deductiblecash donation. Sometimes more isdefinitely more.

The tournament will be in a scrambleformat with a shotgun start at 12:15p.m. The day will include golf cart,continental breakfast, box lunch,contests, games, a raffle featuring49er memorabilia, and an awardsbanquet where prizes and trophieswill be presented to the top teamsand contest winners. Have a greattime while golfing on one of twobeautiful 18-hole courses, expandyour networking circle of friends andcolleagues, and best of all, feel goodabout the fact that you’re enrichingthe lives of disadvantaged young-sters—feeling good has never beeneasier!

Space is limited, so reserve yourtwosome/foursome online atwww.idema.org. Contact Debbie Leeat 408.330.8108 or [email protected] complete information regardingsponsorships.

IDEMA • 3255 Scott Blvd., Suite 2-102, Santa Clara, CA 95054-3013fax: 408.492.1425 • phone: 408.330.8100 • www.idema.org

IDEMA and DISKCON are registered trademarks of the International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association. 6/2/00

Product names or brands used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.


Figure 3. Flow-thru mandrel DI water flow direction.

Figure 4. Cascade brush scrubbing translates the disk througha series of continually cleaner brushes.

Figure 5. Effect of frequency, time, and solution on PRE.

Spin Rinse Dryers, Hot IPA, Marangoni, and Hot DIprocesses and equipment have been successfully imple-mented in drying current high-performance media. Glassmedia presents several challenges, and is currently fullycharacterized and implemented in some, but not all of theabove drying technologies. Glass cleaning continues to bean important focus of research and development formany media manufacturers.

Advanced Precision Cleaning Cost Reduction StrategiesInline Automated Optical Inspection (IAOI): It hasbecome increasingly important to identify and isolatemedia defects in order to meet yield targets and reducecosts. Currently, off-line Automated Optical Inspection(AOI) is improving yields and providing cost savings.Off-line AOI is being evolved to further reduce costs. In-line automated optical inspection allows for the media tobe immediately inspected, defects identified and thesource traced, so that the problem can be correctedquickly. The more defect information that is quicklymade available, the faster the corrective action will betaken, resulting in less down time and faster yieldlearning. Additionally, defective parts will be sorted out,resulting in only adding value to good media at thesubsequent step.

The overriding benefits to IAOI are increased productionrates, increased yields, improved quality, and most impor-tantly reduced operating cost. The initial cost ofimplementing an IAOI is substantial; however, the returnon investment (ROI) is high and is easily justified, withpayback in a matter of months in high volume produc-tion.

Full integration of pre- and post-cleaning processes:Sub-stantial cost reductions are achievable when the pre-ceding circumferential polishing process is fullyintegrated with the cleaning system. All the benefits ofIAOI apply and help further control and eliminatedefects associated with polishing. Polishing defects canquickly be resolved and the process control can beimproved, and any potential transfer or other handling-generated defects will also be eliminated. With cleaningsystems capable of 2,000-disks-per-hour throughput,lower cost per disk associated with circumferentialpolishing at higher throughputs is significant.

Further cost reductions are possible once the cleaningsystem is seamlessly integrated with the subsequent sput-tering step by eliminating exposure to the cleanroomenvironment and atmospheric moisture. The ability totransfer a clean, dry disk directly into a vacuum loadlock via an inert dry environment eliminates much of thecurrent defects generated after drying and prior to sput-tering.

As HDD media manufacturers move toward fully imple-menting glass substrate technology, the elimination ofcertain process steps, such as electroless NiP plate andLaser texture, will allow them to further streamline theprocess and provide additional cost reducing strategies incleaning.


Figure 6. Effect of time, temperature, and power at 104 kHz on PRE.


Figure 8. Effect of time, temperature, and solution on PRE for Megasonics.

ConclusionPrecision cleaning is a yield-enhancing step and allowsfor reducing the defect count and ultimately reducing thecost of making high-performance media. Advancedprecision cleaning equipment will continue to be aninvestment wisely made by HDD media manufacturerslooking to improve performance, improve overall quality,and increase profitability.

References:1. R. DeJule, “Trends in Wafer Cleaning,” SemiconductorInternational, (August 1998) pp. 64–68.2. D. Cooper et. al., “Comparing the effectiveness of knobbyand ridged post-CMP cleaning brushes,” Micro, (July/August1999) p. 58.3. Seagate Technology, Form 10-k report, (August 1999)pp. 3–9.

4. H. Hogan, “Disk Drive brace for living interesting times,”Cleanrooms, (Sept 1999) p. 15–16.5. K. Bahten et. al., “Intermolecular Force Approach,” RippeyCorporation onsite presentation, (December 1998).6. G. Dishon et al, “Online Integrated Metrology,” VMIC-CMP conference, Santa Clara, CA. p. 5.7. A Busnaina, F. Dai, “Megasonic Cleaning,” SemiconductorInternational, (August 1997) pp. 85–89.

Figure 7. Effect of time and recirculation flow rate on PRE for four-sided weir tank.

About the authors:Dave Frost is currently VP of Sales/Marketing at OliverDesign, Inc. He received his BSME from the University ofHouston in 1983. He has over 16 years experience in the HDDindustry, having worked at startup media manufacturersDomain Technology, Akashic Memories, and Komag. Prior tojoining Oliver Design in 1997, he was Director of Sales,Marketing & Applications at Exclusive Design Company, anOEM disk manufacturing equipment company. Dave is the co-author of six patents pending in cleaning and polishingtechnology. He lives in San Jose, CA with his wife and twodaughters.

Yassin Mehmandoust is the Director of Process Technology atOliver Design, Inc. He received his MSChE from the Universityof Oklahoma in 1983. He has over 16 years in the HDDindustry. Prior to joining Oliver Design in 1998, he wasDirector of Tribology at Stormedia and was in various senior R&D engineering management positions at Nashua, HMT, andXidex DataDisk. Yassin has seven patents issued in the areas ofTexture, Lubrication, Carbon sputtering, and Burnish/Buffingprocess and equipment technologies. He lives with his wife inSanta Cruz, CA.

About Oliver Design, Inc:Oliver Design, Inc. is a leading supplier of disk cleaningequipment, offering modular, fully automated systems andservices to the worldwide data storage industry. The companyalso provides engineering consulting services in automation,equipment design, and manufacturing services for the globalelectronics industry. Oliver's World Wide Web address iswww.oliverdesign.com.

Reprinted with permission from Edition 4 of datatechmagazine. Copyright 2000 by ICG Publishing. Contact PaulTate at 44-207-871-0123 or e-mail [email protected] datatech’s website at www.datatech-online.com.

ION Systems AD

Visit us at CleanRooms/Datastor Asia tradeshow in Singapore on Aug. 1–4, 2000 (Booth Numbers 2206 and 2208)


July 10–14 SEMICON WEST 2000 San Francisco (July 10 & 11)and San Jose (July 13 & 14)For more information, visittheir website at:www.SamcoIntl.com. Contact: Shahram Malek [email protected] 408-734-0459

July 17Advances in ServoTechnology—KeepingAreal Density on Track 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This one-day IISTsymposium will feature talksby industry experts who willfocus on key technologydevelopments required toachieve the high-trackdensities required fortomorrow’s disk drives. Contact: Kelly Linder [email protected] 408-554-6853

July 20IDEMA QuarterlyDinner No-host cocktails: 6 p.m.Dinner: 7 p.m.The Westin Hotel, SantaClara, CAFeaturing Michael C.Ruettgers, President andCEO, EMC CorporationContact: Debbie [email protected] 408-330-8108

Aug. 1–4 CleanRooms/DataStor Asia 20009 a.m. to 3 p.m. Raffles City ConventionCenter, SingaporeFor the rigid disk driveand contaminationcontrol industries. Morethan 30 sessions offered. Contact: Lisa Kimball [email protected] 603-891-0123

July/August 2000Aug. 14–16TMRC 2000, 11thAnnual MagneticRecording Conference 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Clara University,Santa Clara, CAThe topic of this year’sconference will bemagnetic recordingsystems. In addition totraditional topics such aschannel characterization,equalization, detection,and timing recovery,special focus will begiven to topics of currentinterest including iterativedecoding, high-data rateissues, and alternatives tolongitudinal recordingsuch as perpendicularand optical. Contact: Kelly [email protected]

Don

’t fo

rget

to

tear

out

and

dis

play

on

your

wal

l.

You can add your industry event to the IDEMA

online calendar. Visit www.idema.org and click

on Events and then Industry Calendar in the

navigation bar. You can add as many events as

you wish along with a brief description OR

referencing URL. Contact Chris Carrig

([email protected]) for additional

information.


September 2000Sept. 13IDEMA HR RoundtableMeeting: NewIncentive PlanImplementation 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Contact: Sally Bryant [email protected] 408.330.8106

Sept. 18DISKCON USA—MarkGeenen Technologyfor Youth Charity GolfTournament 12:15 p.m. Enjoy a day of golf at the5th annual Mark GeenenTechnology for YouthCharity Golf Tournament,held at the CastlewoodCountry Club inPleasanton, CA. Helpsupport this worthyorganization andcontribute to a worthycause. Contact: Debbie Lee [email protected] 408-330-8108

Sept. 18–21DISKCON USA—Technical EducationClasses Sixteen different technicaleducation classes will beoffered—a great way tokeep pace with the basictechnologies used in thedata storage industry. Contact: Dr. Sally Bryant [email protected] 408-330-8106

Sept. 18–19DISKCON USA—Standards Workshops A series of workshops(open to anyoneinterested in storagestandards) will bepresented by IDEMA’sInternational StandardsCommittees. Contact: Kristen Montan [email protected] 408-330-8109

Sept. 19–21DISKCON USA—TechnicalConferenceOur three-day TechnicalConference has beenexpanded from fivesessions to nine. Expertswill discuss the challengesfacing industry innovatorsto achieve faster, better,and lower cost solutions.New this year is a sessionfeaturing the best paperspresented at IEEE’sINTERMAG Torontoconference. Contact: Kristen Montan [email protected]

Sept. 19DISKCON USA—Keynote DinnerThe Westin Hotel, SantaClara, CA

Michael Brown,Chairman and CEO ofQuantum Corporation,will share his views oncurrent trends and oppor-tunities in the datastorage industry.Contact: IDEMA ShowGroup [email protected] 408-492-1436

Sept. 20–21DISKCON USA—ExhibitionSee the latest productsand technologiesevolving in the datastorage industry, as wellas the innovativecompanies that areleading the way to thenext pinnacle—over 300exhibitors signed upalready!Contact: IDEMA ShowGroup [email protected] 408-492-1436

Sept. 20DISKCON USA—Welcome ReceptionJoin IDEMA (in theconcourse area of theSan Jose ConventionCenter) for horsd’oeuvres and cocktailsafter the first full day ofexhibits. Contact: IDEMA ShowGroup [email protected] 408-492-1436

Sept. 25–27Permanent MagnetSystems: FromConcept ThroughCommercialization This conference will bringtogether systemdesigners, manufacturers,raw materials suppliers,processing and testingequipment providers, andusers of permanentmagnet systems. Contact: Susan Whipkey [email protected] 207-892-5445

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When was the Symposium Planningcommittee formed and what is it’s function?

The Symposium Planning committee was formedover six years ago to develop and organizetechnical symposia and workshops worldwide. Thecommittee has increased not only the number ofsymposia offered, but also the scope, to include anumber of symposia offered throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Why do you think this committee isimportant?

It is important to support the educational needs ofthe members from a standards, technical, and newtopics point of view. As more and more of thedata storage industry is moving to the Asia-Pacificregion, this area will continue to become animportant focus and growth area for theSymposium Planning committee.

What were some of the main goals for 2000?Any goals for 2001?

The goal of the Symposium Planning committee isto deliver high-quality, timely, and relevantsymposia to our members. The topics are selectedbased on member input through surveys conductedat the symposia and at DISKCON.

What has the committee accomplished sinceit was formed in 1993?

Since the committee was formed in 1993, thenumber of symposia offered has grown from 1–2per year to 4–6 per year. These symposia includepartnerships with the ESD Society to sponsor atabletop tradeshow, a three-day travelingsymposium in Tokyo, Singapore, and Penang, andan annual U.S. symposium in the Midwest to serveIDEMA members located in that area. Topicscovered over the past five years include:Understanding ESD in Magnetic Recording,Enabling Technology for Higher Areal Density,Requirements for High TPI Recording, and a varietyof Tribology issues.

Symposium Planning

Who participates in this committee?

The Symposium Planning committee is currentlycomprised of the following member volunteers:

1. Tom Coughlin, Consultant2. Larry Eischen, IDEMA3. Yiao-Tee Hsia, Seagate Technology4. Jacques Kools, Veeco Instruments, Inc.5. Debbie Lee, IDEMA6. Kristen Montan, IDEMA (Staff Liaison)7. Donald J. Perettie, ADMAT International (Chair)8. Jim Ward, Komag Inc.

Is the committee lacking participation froma particular area and if so, where?

Since the participants represent a number ofspecial-interest groups from within the industry, allaspects of the data storage industry are currentlyrepresented. However, as always, anyoneinterested may contribute ideas for topics and/orspeakers.

Dr. Donald J. Perettie has served on the IDEMABoard of Directors since 1996, and the Executivecommittee of the Board of Directors since 1999. Heis chairman of the Standards committee,Disk/Substrates (Standards) committee and theSymposium Planning committee, as well as anactive member on the Communications, Dinner, andInternational Technical Sessions committees. Hehelped to organize new standards workshops inlube thickness and characterization, microcontami-nation, CSS testing, and ESD. These workshops allserve to help educate industry professionals aboutdata storage issues and IDEMA’s standardsactivities. Dr. Perettie has also helped pave the wayfor IDEMA to present technical symposia in bothAsia-Pacific and in Japan.

Chair: Donald J. Perettie, Ph.D., ADMAT International

Data Storage AD


We have come through probably one of the darkest periods inthe history of the disk-drive industry. Profit has plummeted fordrive manufacturers and severely for suppliers—billions ofdollars in market capitalization across all companies in thisindustry have been lost. Many suppliers in the drive businesshave been experiencing the same phenomena. First, themarket shifted to low-cost PCs, driven by companies wantingto enter the industry and establish a mark for themselves. Themarket shifted to these low-cost PCs before cost structures werein place to support the prices that would be charged.

At the same time, we got into some supply/demandimbalances. There was a real shift as density improved, a shiftto one- and two-platter drives that had far less parts andrequired far less production supply in the industry. It appears,at least at the drive level, that we have begun that recovery.There’s been a more reasonable supply/demand situation overthe past few quarters helped somewhat by various mis-executions—the balance remains tenuous.

Many of you are looking at the current situation with Intelprocessors and wondering what effect it's going to have in thenext several months on the overall demand for product versusthe supply of product that we all have available. Basically, yes,we’re in recovery mode, but fundamentally (at the drive levelparticularly), nothing really has changed. There’s been no realdrive-maker consolidation in the industry. Some suppliers arebeginning to consolidate, but the recovery we’re seeing at thedrive level is really dependent upon the behavior of variousparticipants in the industry.

The demand for our products, technology and componentsremains extremely strong. And I think there are three reasonsfor the strong demand.

Number one (particularly in the United States), is that theeconomy is pretty healthy. And then there are a few otherfactors that very specifically impact our industry. The first, ofcourse, is the impact of the Internet. The second is theemergence of another large-volume application for hard-drivetechnology—the application of hard drives in consumerproducts.

Quarterly Dinner Meeting Summary John Gannon, president of the Hard Disk Drive Group of Quantum Corporation, was the guestspeaker at the IDEMA Quarterly Meeting on May 25, 2000, Santa Clara, CA. A summary of hispresentation follows below.

Over 500 million pages of information are on the Internet withover a million pages being added daily. Excite.com consumed49 terabytes of data in less than two years, Amazon.comconsumed 42 terabytes of data in less than six months,Mail.com consumed 28 terabytes of data in less than 45 days(28 terabytes of data represented one entire month’s traffic onthe Internet just one year prior). It’s estimated that, in the next10 years, the Internet is going to grow from about 200 millionusers to over a billion users, with many users having as manyas 10 IP addresses. The CIO of Merrill Lynch has estimated thatover 75 percent of all money spent on computer hardware forthe next five years will be spent on storage. The Intel serversegment is believed right now to fuel (or provide service for)over 75 percent of the Internet servers. There is tremendousopportunity for storage in that area—it’s been estimated thatover 90 percent of all information created today is being fueledby the Internet.

I’d like to spend a little time talking about the opportunity thatwe really have for tomorrow—segments emerging in new andmultiple consumer electronics. We’ve heard plenty of talk andannouncements about the opportunity for hard disk drives ingames. A new segment ofproducts—PVRs andVCRs, PVRs and DVDs,and/or combinationproducts—have emergedwith multiple sources ofdigital-content storage.New companies willemerge. New businessmodels will emerge.Ultimately, there will be atremendous impact onadvertisers and on contentproviders. We know thatdigital content is going toproliferate and that harddrives are really thetechnology we have todayto store and access thatinformation.

The demand for our

products, technology and

components remains

extremely strong. We all

need to do what we can to

responsibly maintain a

balance between supply

and demand, and that

requires prudent planning

instead of overly optimistic

planning.


Michael C. Ruettgers

President & CEO, EMC Corporation

July 20, 2000The Westin Hotel, Santa Clara, CANo-host cocktails: 6 p.m.Dinner:: 7 p.m.Individual: member $55 nonmember $65Table (seats 10): member $500 nonmember $650

IDEMA is pleased to present EMC Corporation President andCEO, Michael C. Ruettgers, as the July 2000 Quarterly DinnerMeeting speaker. Under his leadership, EMC has transformedinformation storage from a passive container into the enablingfoundation of the Internet and the networked informationeconomy. In so doing, EMC has expanded what was once alargely ignored IT niche into an immense market opportunityfor EMC and a defining technology of the informationrevolution.

Ruettgers has been with EMC since 1988, the past nine yearsas its CEO. Since his arrival, EMC’s global revenues havegrown more than 50-fold to $6.7 billion in 1999, with netincome exceeding $1 billion. Between 1997 and 1999, EMC’sannual revenues more than doubled.

Ruettgers has built EMC into one of the most powerful high-tech franchises in the world. Red Herring magazine noted in itsMarch 2000 issue that Wall Street analysts refer to EMC as “an800-pound gorilla” and as “the Microsoft of the storageindustry.” In 1998, Business Week named Ruettgers one of the“World’s Top 25 Executives.”

Ruettgers spent much of his early career with Raytheon, wherehe played a key role in the Patriot Missile Program. In May1999, Babson College recognized Ruettgers for being an“information-age visionary” and presented him with thehonorary degree of Doctor of Laws. He holds a BS from IdahoState University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

IDEMA has reserved a block of rooms at The Westin Hotel atthe rate of $209/room. Call 408.986.0700 to make yourreservation.

In summary, the expansion of both the Internet andof this digital content has emerging applications forour industry that are way outside and beyondtraditional computer business applications. To takeadvantage of these new market opportunities, newbusiness models will be required. This consumersegment will be just as competitive as the hard-diskdrive business we know today—it’s a very low-margin business, but it’s a business that if westructure our models correctly (and do forward-thinking on), we can become very successful in.

I think all of us need to do everything we can tocreate excitement around this industry—critical forattracting new talent to the industry (and to retainthe existing talent already there).

We all need to do what we can to responsiblymaintain a balance between supply and demand,and that requires prudent planning instead of overlyoptimistic planning. I would call for all of us in everypart of the industry to target large-share and large-volume gains, primarily through innovative productdifferentiation and execution that exceeds customerexpectation.

In closing, as some of these new and emergingsegments evolve and become available to us, let’sbe prudent as we enter them and not be overlyaggressive where there is really the opportunity forhigher margins.

Transcription services provided by Word Power Plus,a tape transcription and editorial service companyfor the disk drive industry. You can reach them at408.985.7241 or [email protected].


Each year IDEMA awards a total of $40,000 to thetop three students pursuing graduate degrees in thearea of magnetic recording. The fellowships aregiven to graduate students of member universities.Students must be working in an area of study withinthe magnetic recording, data storage, orinformation storage technologies, and areevaluated on the relevance of their research to theadvancement of science or technology in the fieldof data storage. IDEMA is pleased to announce thefollowing 2000-2001 fellowship recipients:

First-Place Fellowship Award: NianxiangSun, Stanford UniversityNianxiang Sun has had a long-time interest inmagnetism. As a child, he conducted magneticexperiments using a magnet, sand, and hismother’s oven. This interest has matured into hiscurrent work on soft magnetic materials with highsaturation magnetization. As a Ph.D. student at theCenter for Research on Information StorageMaterials (CRISM), he is working on finding newmaterials that break the widely accepted saturationmagnetization limit of 21 kG of soft magneticmaterials and enable extremely high areal densitiesand high data rates for future magnetic recording.After one year of exploration, CRISM has success-fully synthesized a new Fe-Co-N soft magneticmaterial, with a high-saturation magnetization of

approximately 24.5 kG and a hard axis coercivityof 5 Oe. When sandwiched between two verythin permalloy layers (5 nm), the Fe-Co-N filmshave a low coercivity of 0.6 Oe, an initial

Director ofEducation,Sally Bryant,Ed.D.408.330.8106

Today’s fast-paced storage industry requires employees to have current knowledge

of industry products and their technologies. To help you keep current, IDEMA

offers high-quality technical education classes worldwide, on-site and at

IDEMA in Santa Clara, CA. These affordable, comprehensive classes offer

storage professionals the technical information needed to keep pace in

today’s dynamic disk drive industry. To learn more about IDEMA’s

Education Program or to schedule an on-site class, contact Sally Bryant at

408.330.8106 or [email protected].

permeability of 1000, and a high roll-offfrequency of 1.5 GHz. The high-saturationmagnetization and high roll-off frequency willmake this Fe-Co-N material an excellentcandidate for future applications in magneticwrite heads and high-frequency inductors, etc.They anticipate further study on the high-frequency performance of this material, and itsemployment in write heads and high-frequencyinductors.

Second-Place Fellowship Award:Hongwei Song, Carnegie MellonUniversityHongwei Song received the second-place awardfor his work aimed at developing advancedchannels employing iterative soft decoding forhigh-density data storage systems suffering fromlow signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). He is investigat-ing the performance of various forms of Turbocodes and Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC)codes for recording channels. Turbo codes, thathave near optimum performance on additivewhite Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels,stimulated a great flurry of research efforts inapplying them to intersymbol interference (ISI)channels such as data storage channels. In thewake of the significant potential of turbo codes,another class of codes (LDPC codes) exhibitingsimilar characteristics and performance wasrediscovered. These coding advances permit usto get closer to the theoretical Shannon capacityand simulations show that high-rate turbo codes,

IDEMA Announces the 2000-2001 Fellowship Recipients


upDon’t get left behind! Plan now to attend one ormore of the exciting classes (listed below) atDISKCON USA—held Sept. 18-21 at the San JoseConvention Center. With a variety of high-qualityclasses to choose from, including new classes onSAN, latest technical advances in disk drives, anddisk drive ICs, this year’s technical classes willhelp you keep pace in a dynamic and highlycompetitive industry.

Monday, Sept. 18 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Cutting Edge (NEW!)

8 a.m. to noon, Disk Drive Basics

8 a.m. to noon, Introduction to PRML

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Introduction to Disk Drive Interfaces

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Media Manufacturing Basics

Tuesday, Sept. 198 a.m. to noon, Understanding and Solving ESDProblems in Magnetic Recording

8 a.m. to noon, Storage Systems (SAN) Basics (NEW!)

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Head Disk Interface

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Disk Drive Silicon (NEW!)

Wednesday, Sept. 208 a.m. to noon, Introduction to CD-ROM

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Disk Drive Basics

Thursday, Sept. 218 a.m. to noon, Storage Systems (SAN) Basics (NEW!)

8 a.m. to noon, Introduction to GMR Head Technology

8 a.m. to noon, Understanding and Solving ESDProblems in Magnetic Recording

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Disk Drive Silicon (NEW!)

1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Head Manufacturing Basics

upcoming classes

register online at www.idema.org

and LDPC codes with corresponding iterative decoding, canprovide 4-6 dB of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain whenapplied to Partial Response (PR) equalized recordingchannels. While this is promising, these codes are not readyfor practical applications to data storage channels becauseseveral key issues remain unresolved. Hongwei’s research isfocused on resolving these issues and developing advancedchannels employing iterative equalization and decoding forlow SNR high-density data storage systems.

Third-Place Fellowship Award: Baekho Heo,University of WashingtonBaekho Heo was awarded the third-place award for hiswork on flow-induced disk vibration, also known as diskflutter, of hard disk drives. This has become a majorchallenge due to increased spin speed and track density. Toreduce flow-induced disk vibration, Baekho has developed aVelcro treatment inside base castings to modify turbulentlayers. Both pressure and vibration measurements show thatthe disk flutter can be reduced substantially. With theadvancement in areal density, there is an accelerating trendto push for higher tracks per inch (TPI) by the hard diskdrive industry. Taming vibration in hard disk drives is key toachieving the high TPI goal.

You can learn more about these exciting research projectsby attending the University Forum Luncheon ($25 perperson), presented by IDEMA on Sept. 20th from noon to 2p.m. during DISKCON USA. DISKCON USA will be held atthe San Jose Convention Center during the week of Sept.18th through the 21st. For more information and to registeronline, visit the IDEMA website at www.idema.org, or callSally Bryant at 408.330.8106.

Advertisers IndexVeeco Process Equipment—www.veeco.com/cluster inside front coverTexas Instruments—www.ti.com/storage/SP4140/7064 page 11Manufacturing Technology Inc. (MTI)—www.mtionline.com page 13CDS Analytical, Inc. page 15Hewlett-Packard Company—www.jobs.hp.com page 19GE Micron Products—www.AbrasivesNet.com page 20Eastman Chemical Company—www.eastman.com page 25Lucent Technologies—www.lucent.com/micro/storage center spreadPraxair Surface Technologies—www.praxair.com page 29Avery Dennison—www.averydennison.com page 31Seagate—www.seagate.com page 33Oryx Advanced Materials, Inc.—www.oam-inc.com page 35ION Systems—www.ion.com page 40DuPont—www.dupont.com/vertrel page 43PennWell page 45EFD Inc.—www.efd-inc.com back cover

This year, my long-cherished desire was fulfilled.The number of exhibitors was 137 with 375booths. Compared with the numbers from thefirst exhibition, there were 2.7 times moreexhibitors, and 3.2 times more booths. More-over, we added optical disc products—our goalto be the all-round storage device exhibition ofthe future is now more fact than dream.

We also had the International Disk Forum duringDISKCON Japan, held at the conference hall inTokyo Big Sight on both April 13 and 14. Wehad more than 300 attendees for each of thesessions. We started with the memorable speechof Mr. James N. Porter, titled “The Disk DriveIndustry’s Dynamic Past—and Future.” Thenfollowed seven sessions of Marketing, MediaTechnology, Measurement Technology, NewApplications of HDD, Device Technology, andHead Technology. We also had a special speechfrom the Academy, presented by Dr. Kitsuregawaof Tokyo University.

We hosted a buffet dinner party at the DaiichiHotel in Tokyo, inviting Forum attendees and topmanagement from the exhibitors, with approxi-mately 280 people in attendance. We heldmany drawings during the party, with winnersreceiving disk drive units, invitations for acomplementary stay at the Hakone Hot-SpringsHotel, Dinners for Two, and a copy of the newlypublished “Storage Terminology Dictionary,”edited by IDEMA Japan.

The end of the DISKCON Japan 2000 trade-show means the beginning of work on thetradeshow for next year. I pray for a prosperousDISKCON Japan tradeshow, for the year 2001.


DISKCON Japan 2000

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Standing at the center of an almostdismantled and emptied exhibition hall,bathed in a twilight glow from the ceilinglights overhead, I realize that everything isfinally over—both a feeling of satisfaction aswell as a slight twinge of sadness.

Still lingering in my ear, the melody of auldlang syne. It was always a dream of mine tofill this huge exhibit hall, and now we’vefinally done it!

Looking back over the history of DISKCONJapan, the first one took place in April of1993. The space of that exhibition wasconfined to one-fourth of the small exhibithall at Harumi International Fairground inTokyo. The number of exhibitors was 51,with 117 booths.

Since then, eight years have passed andduring that time the International Fairgroundin Tokyo was newly built and relocated toTokyo Big Sight at Ariake. The exhibitionitself has also grown from year to year, andhas deeply planted its roots within Japan’sdata storage community. Many exhibitorsand visitors from overseas also come toDISKCON Japan in April, which has nowbecome the biggest event in the datastorage industry in Japan, second only toDISKCON USA.

Calendar of Events

Mark Geenen Technology forYouth Charity Golf Tournament, Sept. 18

Education Classes, Sept. 18–21

Standards Workshops,Sept. 18–19

Keynote Dinner, Sept. 19Michael Brown, Chairman and CEO, Quantum Corp.The Westin Hotel, Santa Clara, CA

Technical Conference,Sept. 19–21

Exhibition, Sept. 20–21

Welcome Reception, Sept. 20

innovationadvancing disk drives—the desktop & beyond

DISKCON USA San Jose Convention CenterSan Jose, Calif.September 18-21, 2000

You are an innovator... you transcend the obvioussolutions to bring the data storage industry to the nextpinnacle. In order to do so, you need to hone the razor-sharp strategies that will aid you in the developmentand leveraging of your company’s innovative products.

To keep current with the latest technologies and trends that are

evolving in the data storage industry, you must attend IDEMA’s

DISKCON USA—the world’s largest tradeshow serving the data

storage industry. Experience the future in real time as you check out

the hottest new products being exhibited. Talk with, and listen to,

industry innovators and learn of trends and breaking developments in

the data storage industry.

In addition to the exhibits, we also encourage you to attend other

events that are held during the week of DISKCON. Our three-day

Technical Conference has been expanded from five sessions to nine.

New this year is a session, featuring papers presented at the IEEE

INTERMAG Toronto Conference, having maximum interest to DISKCON

attendees.

For full DISKCON event details and to register online, visit

www.idema.org.

innovator

innovator

3255 Scott Blvd., Suite 2-102, Santa Clara, CA 95054-3013fax: 408.492.1425 • phone: 408.330.8100 • www.idema.org

IDEMA and DISKCON are registered trademarks of the International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association. 6/19/00

Product names or brands used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

3255 Scott Blvd.Suite 2-102Santa Clara, CA 95054-3013

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